From: "trans.  (T. Onoma)" <transami@...>
Date: 2004-09-30T01:18:47+09:00
Subject: Re: Best name for "this method" ?

On Wednesday 29 September 2004 05:19 am, Robert Klemme wrote:
> I prefer #new because it emphasizes the factoryness of a Class instance.
> Class() doesn't help you in cases like these:
>
> class SomeFactory
>   def initialize(cl)
>     @cl = cl
>   end
>
>   def create() @cl.new end
>   def discard(obj) end
> end

I don't follow. Help you do what? It would still instantiate the factory. 
(IMHO) factories are better as module functions, anyway. So you could do 
something like:

  class SomeFactory
    def self.set(cl)
      @@cl = cl
    end
    def self.new
      @@cl.new
    end
  end

  SomeFactory.set(String)
  str = SomeFactory()

If one so desired. 

Besides, all methods that return a new value are "factories". That;s actually 
the main point --why () is better then [].

> Also, methods Integer() and such are defined in Kernel.  Having such a
> method as a wrapper for C.new in Kernel for every class would clutter
> Kernel unnecessarily and introduce unnecessary dependencies.  I try to
> stick to the rule of thumb to change base classes as minimal as possible.
> That way code stays maintainable and the likeliness of imcompatibilities
> between different classes that change Kernel and the like decreases.

Sure. I'd rather not clutter up Kernel either. I think its already got too 
many methods (why all those string related methods, for instance?) But in 
this case it doesn't really bother me, especially if a missing_method takes 
care of it. 

It might be interesting if () were a "method dispatcher" method itself, then 
it could be defined/redefined like [] is. But don't quote me on that, for the 
moment it's just a passing thought ;)

T.