From: Christoph <chr_mail@...>
Date: 2004-06-15T06:03:49+09:00
Subject: Re: undefine

Robert Klemme wrote:
....
> 
> What do you gain by undefining instance variables?  If you access it via
> @foo it'll be nil anyway.


I did not advocate removing, a.k.a. undefining,
instance variable, I was just pointing out that
these removal methods exists - but since you asked:

Removing an instance or class variable after
its usefulness expired (a typical example are
auxiliary instance variable used in nontrivial
initializers distributed over several auxiliary
methods) is IMO a good practice mainly for
esthetical reasons (akin to the well established
practice of always initialing instance variable
before using them) - on occasion you might even
catch an error this way. Another reason is that
unused instance variable take up  unnecessary
memory space.

It seems harder to me to make a similar compelling
stylistic (and memory) case for the existence of
removal methods for class variables and especially
for global variables, and removal method for local
variables make no sense at all.

/Christoph