From: Dave Thomas <dave@...>
Date: 2007-01-23T02:31:21+09:00
Subject: Re: Method notation question


On Jan 22, 2007, at 11:04 AM, ara.t.howard@noaa.gov wrote:

> i like
>
>   File::class_method
>
>   File.instance_method


The problem with that is that both are valid calling sequences for  
class methods. If I'd used the following in the book

   String.split

I'll get lots of email saying "when I type String.split it doesn't work"

I toyed for a while with the Smalltalk-like  a_string.split, but  
that's ugly and confusing. It's what I use in the library reference,  
because I set up the context for a_string in the description of the  
constructor. However, I just don't think it would work in narrative  
body text.