added ability to copy associative arrays to COPY

src/slang/COPY.sl

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ define COPY() %{{{
 %   \usage{Struct_Type copy = COPY(Struct_Type copyme);}
 %\altusage{Array_Type  copy = COPY(Array_Type  copyme);}
 %\altusage{List_Type   copy = COPY(List_Type   copyme);}
+%\altusage{Assoc_Type  copy = COPY(Assoc_Type   copyme);}
 %\description
 %    \code{COPY} returns a properly dereferenced copy of an
 %    arbitrarily nested \code{Struct/Array or List_Type} with
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ define COPY() %{{{
 %    iteratively calls the  according sub-function
 %    (\code{struct_copy}, \code{array_copy} or \code{list_copy}).
 %    If the given Data_Type or one of its entries is not
-%    one of privouse mentioned ones, \code{COPY} returns
+%    one of previously mentioned ones, \code{COPY} returns
 %    @(Data_Type) or respectively @(entry).
 %    
 %    NOTE: * Ref_Type entries will not be dereferenced, which
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ define COPY() %{{{
 %     C = struct_copy(S); C.f[0].a[[0]] = ["modified"];
 %     print(S.f[0].a);
 %
-%\seealso{struct_copy, array_copy, list_copy}
+%\seealso{struct_copy, array_copy, list_copy, assoc_copy}
 %!%-
 {
   variable copyme;
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ define COPY() %{{{
     return array_copy(copyme);
   else if( type == List_Type )
     return array_copy(copyme);
+  else if( type == Assoc_Type )
+    return assoc_copy(copyme);
   else{
     vmessage("WARNING: <%s>: Unsupported Data_Type=%S, retruning @copyme",
 	     _function_name,type);
@@ -76,14 +79,13 @@ define struct_copy() %{{{
 %    fields, which can be of any Type! If a field is an Array_Type[]
 %    \code{struct_copy} calls \code{array_copy} and if a field is
 %    \code{Struct_Type}, \code{struct_copy} calls itself.
-%    Further it copies Ref_Type, which allows
-%                       !!! copiing XFIG-OBJECTS !!!
+%    Further it copies Ref_Type, which allows copying XFIG-Objects.
 %\example
 %    s = Struct_Type[1]; s[0]=struct{ a=Array_Type[1,2] };
 %    s[0].a[[0]]=[0:9]; S = struct{ f=s };     
 %    C = struct_copy(S); C.f[0].a[[0]] = ["modified"];
 %    print(S.f[0].a);
-%\seealso{array_copy}
+%\seealso{array_copy, list_copy, COPY, assoc_copy}
 %!%-
 {
   variable table;
@@ -103,6 +105,8 @@ define struct_copy() %{{{
       set_struct_field(copy, f, array_copy(field) );
     else if( ftype == List_Type )
       set_struct_field(copy, f, list_copy(field) );
+    else if( ftype == Assoc_Type )
+      set_struct_field(copy, f, assoc_copy(field) );
     else if ( (ftype == String_Type) ||  (ftype == Ref_Type) )
       set_struct_field(copy, f, field );	
     else
@@ -159,6 +163,7 @@ define array_copy() %{{{
   return copy;
 }
 %}}}
+
 define list_copy() %{{{
 %!%+
 %\function{list_copy}
@@ -179,7 +184,7 @@ define list_copy() %{{{
 %     l = [{ array_copy(s), 1., [1:10] }, {"abs"}];
 %     copy = COPY(l); copy[0][0][0].a[[0]] = ["modified"];
 %     print(l[0][0][0].a);
-%\seealso{COPY, struct_copy, array_copy}
+%\seealso{COPY, struct_copy, array_copy, assoc_copy}
 %!%-
 {
   variable list;
@@ -193,6 +198,8 @@ define list_copy() %{{{
       return struct_copy( list );
     else if( type == Array_Type )
       return array_copy( list );
+    else if( type == Assoc_Type )
+      return assoc_copy( list );
     else if( type == Ref_Type || type == String_Type )
       return list;
     else
@@ -229,3 +236,44 @@ define table_copy() %{{{
   return struct_copy(table);
 }
 %}}}
+
+define assoc_copy()
+%!%+
+%\function{assoc_copy}
+%\synopsis{makes a copy of an associated array}
+%\usage{Assoc_Type copy = assoc_copy(Assoc_Type list);}
+%\description
+%    \code{assoc_copy} returns a properly dereferenced copy of an
+%    arbitrarily nested \code{Assoc_Type} with all its entries. 
+%    Depending on the Data_Type of the entries, \code{assoc_copy}
+%    iteratively calls the according sub-function
+%    (\code{struct_copy}, \code{array_copy} or \code{list_copy}).
+%    If the Data_Type of one of its entries is not
+%    one of previously mentioned ones, \code{assoc_copy} returns
+%    @(Data_Type) or respectively @(entry).
+%\example
+%     s = Struct_Type[1]; s[0]=struct{ a=Array_Type[1,2] };
+%     s[0].a[[0]]=[0:9];
+%     l = [{ array_copy(s), 1., [1:10] }, {"abs"}];
+%     copy = COPY(l); copy[0][0][0].a[[0]] = ["modified"];
+%     print(l[0][0][0].a);
+%\seealso{COPY, struct_copy, array_copy, list_copy}
+%!%-
+{
+    variable copyme;
+    switch(_NARGS)
+    { case 1: copyme = (); }
+    { help(_function_name()); return; }
+
+    variable new=Assoc_Type[];
+    
+    variable s=assoc_get_values(copyme);
+    variable key;
+    foreach key ( s ) {
+        new[key]=COPY(s[key]);
+    }
+    return new;
+}
+
+
+