adding more examples to the computer_science folder, and fiddling with operator precedence

examples/computer_science/linked_list.coffee

@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+# "Classic" linked list implementation that doesn't keep track of its size.
+LinkedList: =>
+  this._head: null # Pointer to the first item in the list.
+
+
+# Appends some data to the end of the list. This method traverses the existing
+# list and places the value at the end in a new node.
+LinkedList::add: data =>
+
+  # Create a new node object to wrap the data.
+  node: {data: data, next: null}
+
+  current: this._head ||= node
+
+  if this._head isnt node
+    current: current.next while current.next
+    current.next: node
+
+  this
+
+
+# Retrieves the data at the given position in the list.
+LinkedList::item: index =>
+
+  # Check for out-of-bounds values.
+  return null if index < 0
+
+  current: this._head or null
+  i: -1
+
+  # Advance through the list.
+  current: current.next while current and index > (i += 1)
+
+  # Return null if we've reached the end.
+  current and current.data
+
+
+# Remove the item from the given location in the list.
+LinkedList::remove: index =>
+
+  # Check for out-of-bounds values.
+  return null if index < 0
+
+  current: this._head or null
+  i: -1
+
+  # Special case: removing the first item.
+  if index is 0
+    this._head: current.next
+  else
+
+    # Find the right location.
+    [previous, current]: [current, current.next] while index > (i += 1)
+
+    # Skip over the item to remove.
+    previous.next: current.next
+
+  # Return the value.
+  current and current.data
+
+
+# Calculate the number of items in the list.
+LinkedList::size: =>
+  current: this._head
+  count:   0
+
+  while current
+    count += 1
+    current: current.next
+
+  count
+
+
+# Convert the list into an array.
+LinkedList::toArray: =>
+  result:   []
+  current:  this._head
+
+  while current
+    result.push(current.data)
+    current: current.next
+
+  result
+
+
+# The string representation of the linked list.
+LinkedList::toString: => this.toArray().toString()
+
+
+# Tests.
+list: new LinkedList()
+
+list.add("Hi")
+print(list.size()  is 1)
+print(list.item(0) is "Hi")
+print(list.item(1) is null)
+
+list: new LinkedList()
+list.add("zero").add("one").add("two")
+print(list.size()     is 3)
+print(list.item(2)    is "two")
+print(list.remove(1)  is "one")
+print(list.item(0)    is "zero")
+print(list.item(1)    is "two")
+print(list.size()     is 2)
+print(list.item(-10)  is null)

examples/computer_science/luhn_algorithm.coffee

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# Use the Luhn algorithm to validate a numeric identifier, such as credit card
+# numbers, national insurance numbers, etc.
+# See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luhn_algorithm
+
+is_valid_identifier: identifier =>
+
+  sum: 0
+  alt: false
+
+  for i in [(identifier.length - 1)..0]
+
+    # Get the next digit.
+    num: parseInt(identifier.charAt(i), 10)
+
+    # If it's not a valid number, abort.
+    return false if isNaN(num)
+
+    # If it's an alternate number...
+    if alt
+      num *= 2
+      num: (num % 10) + 1 if num > 9
+
+    # Flip the alternate bit.
+    alt: !alt
+
+    # Add to the rest of the sum.
+    sum += num
+
+  # Determine if it's valid.
+  sum % 10 is 0
+
+
+# Tests.
+print(is_valid_identifier("49927398716")      is true)
+print(is_valid_identifier("4408041234567893") is true)
+print(is_valid_identifier("4408041234567890") is false)

examples/computer_science/merge_sort.coffee

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Sorts an array in ascending natural order using merge sort.
+merge_sort: list =>
+
+  return list if list.length is 1
+
+  result: []
+  pivot: Math.floor(list.length / 2)
+  left:  merge_sort(list.slice(0, pivot))
+  right: merge_sort(list.slice(pivot))
+
+  while left.length and right.length
+    result.push(if left[0] < right[0] then left.shift() else right.shift())
+
+  result.concat(left).concat(right)
+
+
+# Test the function.
+print(merge_sort([3, 2, 1]).join(' ') is '1 2 3')
+print(merge_sort([9, 2, 7, 0, 1]).join(' ') is '0 1 2 7 9')

examples/computer_science/selection_sort.coffee

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# An in-place selection sort.
+selection_sort: list =>
+  len: list.length
+
+  # For each item in the list.
+  for i in [0...len]
+
+    # Set the minimum to this position.
+    min: i
+
+    # Check the rest of the array to see if anything is smaller.
+    (min: j if list[j] < list[min]) for j in [i+1...len]
+
+    # Swap if a smaller item has been found.
+    [list[i], list[min]]: [list[min], list[i]] if i isnt min
+
+  # The list is now sorted.
+  list
+
+
+# Test the function.
+print(selection_sort([3, 2, 1]).join(' ') is '1 2 3')
+print(selection_sort([9, 2, 7, 0, 1]).join(' ') is '0 1 2 7 9')

lib/coffee_script/grammar.y

@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ prechigh
   right    WHEN LEADING_WHEN IN OF BY
   right    THROW FOR NEW SUPER
   left     EXTENDS
-  left     ASSIGN '||=' '&&=' '?='
-  right    RETURN
+  left     '||=' '&&=' '?='
+  right    ASSIGN RETURN
   right    '=>' '==>' UNLESS IF ELSE WHILE
 preclow