From: Eric Mahurin <eric_mahurin@...>
Date: 2005-07-29T13:06:08+09:00
Subject: Re: What's so special about operators, built-in classes and modules?

Daniel,

I haven't really followed this VERY long thread completely, but
I'd thought I'd jump in.  What was the exact proposal to unify
class and module?  Without much thought/analysis, it looks like
either of these could be done to unify class and module:

1. Allow an instance of a module to be created: "new" should be
a "class" method of a module and work just like it does with a
class.  I think this would allow a module to do everything a
class can do.

2. Allow a class to be included just like a module can.  I
think this would allow a class to do what a module can.

Right now, if you wanted to make an instance of a module you'd
have to make a proxy class to do the dirty work.  Currently,
doing it like this gives you the most flexibility because you
can mixin/inherit this class/module wherever and make instances
of it:

module Mod
    # put your class/module code here
end

class ModClass
    include Mod
end

x = ModClass.new

I don't see why the language shouldn't allow one to make an
instance of the Mod above rather than having to make an
instance of the proxy class ModClass.

.. or why you can't include a class.



		
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