From: Andrew Hunt <andy@...>
Date: 2000-03-28T21:45:45-05:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:02234] Re: Ruby and Eiffel

Hal writes:

    >My impression is that these two languages don't have
    >much in common. However, the principle we were 
    >discussing is one that Bertrand Meyer stressed in his
    >book _Object-Oriented Software Construction_ -- an
    >excellent book, though a few years out of date now.

The second edition came out in 1997, but it does have 
an "older" feel to it -- Eiffel isn't very dynamic, web-enabled
or sexy in that regard.

    >The technique of programming "by contract" is a very
    >appropriate method overall, but it is not unique to
    >Eiffel. Oh, Eiffel's design certainly facilitates it, 
    >but it can be done in other languages.

Well, that brings up an interesting question.  What do
you think about implementing Design By Contract in a 
non-staticaly typed language such as Ruby?  I've toyed around
with several implementations of DBC in Ruby, and once Dave
and I get a bit more of the Ruby book finished I'll look at
it again.

But would that be a usefull feature to have in Ruby?  

/\ndy


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Andrew Hunt, The Pragmatic Programmers, LLC.
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