use strings to call functions

[Steve Holden]

Klaus Neuner wrote:
>> A file extension is not necessarily 3 chars long.
> 
> No, of course not. But it is, if I choose to use only (self-made) file
> endings that are 3 chars long. Anyway, it was just an example.
> 
>> handlers = {
>>     ".txt" : handle_txt,
>>     ".py" : handle_py,
>>     # etc
>>     }
>>
> 
> That is exactly what I would like to avoid: Having to map the function
> 'handle_txt' to '.txt'. Firstly, because I don't want to repeat
> anything and secondly, because I will one day add a new function and
> forget to add its name to the dictionary. (This is not severe if there
> is only one dictionary for mapping functions, but it will make life a
> lot harder, if a lot of mappings of this kind are used.)
> 
> What I want is calling the string directly. In Prolog, I would use
> something like:
> 
> get_file_ending(File, Ending),
> Predicate =.. [Ending, File],
> call(Predicate).
> 
> 


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