max

Definition:	object x1 = max(object x2, x3) -- or -- object x1 = sq_max(object x2, x3) -- or -- object x1 = max(sequence s1) -- or -- object x1 = maxsq(sequence s1, bool return_index=false)
Description:	Returns the largest of x2 and x3, or the largest element in sequence s1. Atoms are considered to be less than sequences. Sequences are compared "alphabetically" (case sensitive, ie 'a'>'Z') starting with the first element until a difference is found. The sq_max(a,b) function applies max() to the top-level elements of a and b when they are in fact sequences, otherwise it applies an atom to all the elements of the other, or if they are both atoms it behaves identically to max(a,b). Typically the result is a sequence, but it can be an atom if passed two atoms. Note that it is not recursive, and passing a single argument to sq_max() is not allowed.
pwa/p2js:	Supported.
Example:	a = max(7,5) -- a is 7 b = max({7,5,3}) -- b is 7 c = max("two","three") -- c is "two" d = max({"one","two","three","four"}) -- d is "two" s = sq_max(s,0) -- no element of s is now < 0
Implementation:	See builtins\pmaths.e (an autoinclude), and psqop.e, and the technicalia dropdown, for details of the actual implementation.
See Also:	largest, equal, compare, min, relational operators, sequence operations
Technicalia	max(s1) is an alias for maxsq(s1); the compiler automatically substitutes the function being called when only one parameter is passed. Note that providing the return_index parameter prevents such a substitution, ie max(s,true) is just plain wrong, as is maxsq(x,y). (To clarify that, max(s,true) would always return s, when s is a sequence, as atoms are deemed less than sequences.) Both routines are declared in builtins\pmaths.e (an auto-include). Some extra care must be taken with routine_id("max"), as obviously no equivalent mapping occurs for the one or two parameter cases. The Euphoria version of max() only accepts a single argument and behaves as maxsq(flatten(s1)), whereas the Phix version is *not* recursive. Unlike the Euphoria version, max(<atom>) generates a runtime error, as does max({}). This function is only compatible with Euphoria when passed a single argument that is a non-empty and non-nested sequence of atoms. Unlike several other functions the max() and sq_max() functions are not recursive. Should you (for some strange reason) believe that max({"one","two","three"}) should yield 'w', or max({}) should yield -inf, then may I politely suggest that you go away and write your own version of this routine.