From: Nat Pryce <nat.pryce@...13media.com>
Date: 2001-08-30T19:36:52+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:20573] Re: To those who want abstract classes in Ruby

There is very little need for this in Ruby, and it can be a drawback.

There is little need for this, by default, throws an exception when an
object is sent a message it does not understand.

It is a drawback because you now cannot instantiate an abstract class and
define per-instance methods.  E.g. code like this is very useful:

a = Abstract.new
def a.method_a( n )
    ...
end
def a.method_b( n )
   ...
end


----- Original Message -----
From: "Matthias Lampert" <ml@sph.de>
To: "ruby-talk ML" <ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 9:55 AM
Subject: [ruby-talk:20571] To those who want abstract classes in Ruby


>
> Hi, folks!
>
> There are people who miss a feature like abstract/virtual
> classes in Ruby.  I was one of them, I admit.
>
> By the time I learned, though, that I could implement this
> feature myself.  Just like here.
>
>
> #########################################################################
> class Abstract
> attr :attrib
>
> def initialize( i_attrib )
> @attrib = i_attrib
> check4ForbiddenInstantiating
> end
>
>
> def method_a
> crash4ViolationOfAbstractness("method_a")
> end
>
> def method_b
> crash4ViolationOfAbstractness("method_b")
> end
>
>
> def crash4ViolationOfAbstractness( sMethodName )
> raise "Ahem... You need to implement " +
>               "#{self.type.to_s}##{sMethodName} to use it!"
> end
>
> def check4ForbiddenInstantiating
> if self.type.to_s == "Abstract"
> raise "Sorry, lad! I'm abstract!"
> end
> end
>
> end
>
>
> class Concrete < Abstract
> def initialize( i_attrib )
> super(i_attrib)
> end
>
> def method_a
> puts "This instantiation is " + attrib.to_s
> puts "Implemented Abstract#method_a"
> end
> end
>
>
> # Abstract.new( "forbidden!")      # ==> ERROR!
> obj = Concrete.new("allowed!")
> obj.method_a
> # obj.method_b                     # ==> ERROR!
>
> #########################################################################
>
>
> It's primitive, I know that, but it's a place to get started, and it did
> a great job for me so far.  Maybe one of the gurus can make a module of
it;
> would be great to create an abstract class semi-automatically.  Perhaps I
> can do it myself, but I need to be a guru first!
>
>
> CU,
>
> --
>
> Matthias Lampert, Hamburg
> Just another XP and Ruby fan
>