Why is it Called iota?

Question

C++11 introduced a function called iota. Which "Assigns to every element in the range [first,last) successive values of val, as if incremented with ++val after each element is written."

Can someone explain what "iota" means here though?

I looked up "iota" and it seems to have nothing to do with generating a range.

ildjarn · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-14T09:20:31.070

9

Quoting this non-authoritative, but nonetheless correct, wiki:

The function is named after the integer function ⍳ from the programming language APL.

In APL, the ⍳ function (represented with the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, iota) is used to create a zero-based array of consecutive, ascending integers of a specified length.

edited Apr 14 '16 at 09:20

answered Feb 09 '15 at 14:20

ildjarn

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You could go further by explaining to the uninitiated that this symbol is the Greek letter "Iota". – Lightness Races in Orbit Feb 09 '15 at 14:41

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 09 '15 at 14:21

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It's a Greek letter used in mathematics to denote a set of consecutive numbers. Iota use in APL.

answered Feb 09 '15 at 14:21

Tyler Jandreau

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 09 '15 at 14:20

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This page has a very plausible-seeming explanation:

The Greek letter iota is used in the programming language APL to generate a sequence of consecutive integers.

answered Feb 09 '15 at 14:20

unwind

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Why is it Called iota?

3 Answers3

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