map
A person means a picture that shows places and how to get between them. They might ask for a map of a city, a trail, or a store layout.
What a model may hear
- apply a function to each item programming in Python, JavaScript, Lisp
- run a function across a list or stream and return the results
- key-value data structure computer science, databases
- store and look up data by a unique key, like a hash table or dictionary
- transform data in a pipeline big data, Spark, Hadoop
- run a distributed transformation before a reduce step
- memory-mapped file or region operating systems, low-level programming
- treat a file or device as if it were part of RAM
Where people and models part ways
“show me a map of the data”
Meant: make a visual chart
May be taken as: apply a function to every element and return raw output
Say instead: “create a visual map or chart of the data”
“map this to that”
Meant: draw a connection between two ideas
May be taken as: write code that transforms one data structure into another
Say instead: “explain the relationship between this and that, or create a diagram showing the connection”
“put it on the map”
Meant: make something well known or visible
May be taken as: insert data into a key-value store or geospatial database
Say instead: “make this more visible or well known”
“map out the plan”
Meant: describe the steps clearly
May be taken as: generate a structured data transformation pipeline
Say instead: “describe the steps of the plan in order”
Tips
- Say 'visual map' or 'geographic map' if you want a picture of places
- Say 'apply to each' or 'transform each item' if you want the programming function
- Say 'chart' or 'diagram' if you want a figure showing relationships
- Say 'dictionary' or 'key-value store' if you mean that data structure
- Avoid 'map' alone when you mean a concept; add context like 'mind map' or 'road map'
Often confused with
- plot
- always implies drawing or graphing, not navigation
- chart
- more clearly means a visual figure, not a function
- reduce
- the pairing step after map in programming, not a picture
- dictionary
- the data structure, with no geographic meaning
- navigate
- the action of using a map, not the map itself
- transform
- the general idea of changing data, without the list-processing sense