From: Austin Ziegler <halostatue@...>
Date: 2006-06-15T01:54:34+09:00
Subject: Re: Cut-based AOP

On 6/14/06, transfire@gmail.com <transfire@gmail.com> wrote:
> You know, it's easy to spout YAGNI and AYRHTDI (All Your Really Have To
> Do Is) and such. It's whole nother story when you actaully WORK on it.
> Try spending two years studying AOP and how it could work in Ruby and
> then get back to me. There's more to it than you understand.

If it takes two years of studying to "get" AOP, then I definitely *do
not* need it. IOC is easier to understand than that, and I think that
it has more value in Ruby than what I've understood of AOP.

AOP *may* be a revolution in programming, but *no one* has been able
to explain its real and immediate value to me in any way. I didn't do
OOP for years, but I *got* it very quickly when I was taught it.

Here's the challenge. Let's accept, for the moment, that your RCR
represents the Right Way to do AOP in Ruby. Now, convince me that we
need your RCR. Sell me on AOP. Tell me what the benefits are -- *show*
me the benefits in code. Show me that my code will be shorter, easier
to understand, cleaner, more extensible, more secure, *whatever* with
AOP. Right now, if I want to give someone hooks into my code, I make
explicit plugin points. If I don't and someone wants to modify either
the input or output of my method, then they can either wrap me through
inheritance or composition. I really do *not* get the value that AOP
gives me, and the example given in the Python mailing list link you
gave me is clever, but I can't see *value* there.

We've had a discussion recently. *Convince* me that AOP will make a
Ruby developer's life significantly better than what I have described
("plugin points", inheritance/composition wrapping) as well-understood
and I'll support you. My problem isn't with your RCR; my problem is
with AOP. Right now, it's just a buzzword with little value. If it has
value, I am convinced that you can change my opinion.

-austin
-- 
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               * austin@zieglers.ca