From: "Ara.T.Howard" <Ara.T.Howard@...>
Date: 2005-07-26T00:31:00+09:00
Subject: Re: Using a class namespace for subclasses

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005, Trans wrote:

>
>
> Ara.T.Howard wrote:
>>
>> i'd do
>>
>>    module HashTable
>>      class Ordered; end
>>      class Sync; end
>>      class Static; end
>>    end
>>
>> cheers.
>>
>
> You would keep it seperate. Why so?
>
> T.

i dunno - some namespaces aren't likely to get polluted because there not that
often used.  Hash, however, has got to be one of the top candidates, along
with Array, for sticking stuff into.  that reminds me, what i did for
arrayfields, which adds a bunch of methods to Array __instances__ is something
like

   module ArrayFieldable
     def foo
       ...
       ...
     end
     def bar
       ...
       ...
     end
   end

   class Array
     def fields= fields
       self.extend ArrayFieldable
       ...
       ...
     end
   end

so Array got polluted with only one method but certain Array instances get
tons of methods clobbered when ArrayFieldable is included.  by sticking your
classes into a separate module one would only need

   class Hash
     include HashTable
   end

or, selectively (i do this alot)

   class Hash
     Ordered = ::HashTable::Ordered
   end

and then one could

   ho = Hash::Ordered::new

yet any problems/nameclashes could be solved by just using

   ho = HashTable::Ordered::new

so you can have your cake and eat it too.  i guess it seems easier to bundle
up names and allow people to import than to inject them into a class and make
people pull them out in the case of problems.

2cts.

cheers.

-a
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