The Identity Function

Length: 35 minutes

I gave this bizarre talk at TPC 2001 in San Diego. The title backfired: Too many people didn't know what the identity function was, and those who did know assumed that I must have been referring to something else.

The identity function is a function such as sub identity { return $_[0] } which returns its argument unchanged. In this talk, I show four unexpectedly useful uses for the identity function.

1. The Identity Function
2. The Identity Function Revealed
3. As a String Transformation
4. As a Numeric Operation
5. Operational Description
6. Related Functions
7. What?
8. Function Calls in Strings
9. Function Calls in Strings
10. Function Calls in Strings
11. Function Calls in Strings
12. Function Calls in Strings
13. Short Shameful Confession
14. Short Shameful Confession
15. Dynamic Allocation
16. Dynamic Allocation
17. The & and * Operators
18. Dynamic Allocation
19. Dynamic Allocation
20. The * Operator
21. The * Operator
22. The & Operator
23. The & Operator
24. The & Operator
25. IADDR
26. Dynamic Allocation in Fortran
27. Function Calls in Strings
28. Reinstating Tied Objects
29. Reinstating Tied Objects
30. Reinstating Tied Objects
31. Directory Searching
32. Directory Searching
33. Directory Computing
34. Directory Computing
35. Directory Computing
36. Thank you!

Return to: Universe of Discourse main page | Perl Paraphernalia | Other Classes and Talks