[XML-SIG] RE: Equality tests on DOM nodes

John Cowan cowan@locke.ccil.org
Mon, 14 Dec 1998 15:45:48 -0500


Fred L. Drake wrote:

>   Perhaps there is no fully general equality that isn't identity?

To be precise:  Fully general equality (fge) for mutable objects is
identity.  Fge for immutable objects is the fge-ness of their parts,
since indiscernable objects are identical (Leibniz's criterion).

E.g. immutable strings are equal if their characters are equal,
but (mutable) vectors are equal only if they are identical objects.

(There are other definitions of equality, of course, but they are
not general.)

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)