neuray API Programmer's Manual

Glossary

Definition of common terms used in the neuray API.

Lexicographic Order and Comparison

Lexicographic ordering means dictionary like ordering on types that have several elements in some defined sequence. If the first element of a sequence A is less than the first element of a sequence B then A is lexicographically less than B. Likewise, if the first element of A is greater than the first element of B then A is lexicographically greater than B. If the first element of A is equal to the first element of B then the lexicographic order of A and B is determined by the lexicographic order of A's sequence and B's sequence with the first element removed from both sequences. An empty sequence is smaller than a non-empty sequence.

The lexicographic order is commonly used for strings, vector, matrix and color classes.