From: Mathieu Bouchard <matju@...>
Date: 2005-04-24T12:36:02+09:00
Subject: Re: [ANN] Article: Seeing Metaclasses Clearly

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On Thu, 21 Apr 2005, ts wrote:

> * a class is a module which can use inheritance

Module#include qualifies as inheritance, no matter how one may try to hide=
=20
it under a carpet. A dog with a leg missing is still a dog. It doesn't=20
matter how much the Java religion asserts that multiple inheritance is=20
bad. We merely have to assert that multiple inheritance is good, instead=20
of playing word games like what I've consistently heard in the Ruby=20
community in my five years of hanging around. The attempt to attract Java=
=20
programmers to Ruby shouldn't have been done by compromising the=20
simplicity of Ruby; instead it should have been done by cult=20
deprogramming.


The defining qualities of a Ruby class may be that:

1. a Ruby class is a direct-subclass-of a Ruby class using the "<"=20
notation (except the Object class).

2. the Object class just happens to be the place where .new() is defined;=
=20
and this is no matter how many classes use undef_method(:new) to forbid=20
instantiation.


>   -  "birth" class which can create instance
>   - "singleton" class which is always associated with only one object
>  and no, a "singleton" class is not a "birth" class.

Btw, are TrueClass, FalseClass and NilClass considered "birth" or=20
"singleton", and then why would they be like that?


  ,-o---------o---------o---------o-. ,----.                            |
  | The Diagram is the Program (TM) | |  ,-o----------------------------o-.
  `-o-----------------------------o-' |  | Mathieu Bouchard (Montr=E9al QC)=
 |
    |                             |---'  |      http://artengine.ca/matju |
    |                             |      `-o------------------------------'
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