default values for Vector{Strand}

[phaverty]

Could similar on an array of Strand object be initialized as an array of STRAND_NA?

[bicycle1885]

The docstring of similar states it creates an "uninitialized" array. So, I think there is no reason to define a specialized similar method that initializes an array. If you need an initialized version, you can call fill(STRAND_NA, 10).

In what situation do you need an initialized vector of strands when you call similar?