Hi Helgef,
Well you are correct, but in my mind it isn't really helpful to newer users of ahk to complicate things like that. For simplicity sake I think it's easier to think in terms of Array (on it's own) to mean simple/linear array's, and if you're talking Associative Array's or Pseudo Arrays, then it's probably not a good idea to drop the "Associative" or "Pseudo" prior to array. So I suppose to me, array on it's own implies "Simple Array".
Personally I don't really use the term Associative Arrays instead I'd phrase them as objects, it just makes it clearer IMO, especially when you consider what an array is generally considered to be in other programming languages both now and traditionally. Most languages these days do have data types that can contain numerical and/or named keys but they are also usually distinguished from arrays, by calling them something else.
To be totally technical about it, ahk doesn't really have an array type at all, it has objects, some of which can act the same as an array elsewhere would act, and then there are Psuedo Arrays, which are essentially dynamically named variables, but traditionally they are AHK's arrays from prior to objects being introduced. A similar case could be made to how ahk doesn't really have classes either, they are also objects, but to be honest, I don't really care a great deal about what something is called, I'm more interested in how it works.
One thing I'm curious about is given the broad definition of Associative Arrays, and the statement towards the end,
Helgef wrote:Arrays are always objects, objects might not be arrays, they can be some of the built-in ones, eg, func or (regex) match objects.
I would agree Objects aren't always Arrays, but to me if you wan't to include "Associative Arrays" as being meant by the term Arrays, then the above statement IMO becomes false as to me All objects are also "Associative Arrays". If you disagree, can you provide an example of an object which doesn't meet the criteria of an associative array ? because I honestly can't think of any, hence my presumption of Array meaning simple Array.