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--- at:tutorial:basic [2007/04/17 16:43] – tvcutsem
+++ at:tutorial:basic [2007/04/17 16:51] – tvcutsem
@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 ===== Tables =====
-Indexed tables represent what other languages call arrays or lists. Tables are unidimensional and their indexes range from 1 to the size of the table. As variables, one can define, assign and refer to a table. Table definition is also made  with the keyword **def** in the following form:
+The //table// is AmbientTalk's native compound data type. It is akin to what other languages call //arrays//. The main difference is that tables are indexed from ''1'' up to their ''length'', while arrays are indexed from ''0'' up to ''length-1''. Like with variables, one can define, assign and refer to a table. Table definitions are also formed with the keyword **def** in the following format:
 <code>
-def t[ <size> ] { <expression> }
+def t[ <sizeexpression> ] { <initexpression> }
 </code>
-This means that the <expression> will be evaluated <size> times, i.e., one for each slot of the table. This allows expressions such as initializing a table of ascending numbers as shown below:
+This constructs a table, the size of which is determined by ''<sizeexpression>''. The content of each slot is the result of evaluating ''<initexpression>''. This means that ''<initexpression>'' is evaluated for each slot in the table! Tables of e.g. ascending numbers are easily formed:
 <code>
 >def z := 0
@@ Line 52: / Line 53: @@
 </code>
-Although there is no special constructor for definition of multidimensional tables, a table entry can contain another table. This is internally stored as a unidimensional table whose entries are other tables.
+Although there is no special constructor for definition of multidimensional tables, a table entry can contain another table. This is internally stored as a one-dimensional table whose entries are other tables.
 <code>
 >def vowels := ["a", "e", "i", "o", "u"]
@@ Line 62: / Line 63: @@
 </code>
-As shown in the definition of the varible //vowels//, evaluating a series of comma-separated data types between square brackets (aka a tabulation) results in a table.
+As shown in the definition of the variable ''vowels'', AmbientTalk provides literal syntax to encode in-line tables. Table assignment and indexation work as usual, but recall that table indices range from ''1'' up to ''table.length''. Some more examples of literal tables:
 <code>