From: Mathieu Bouchard <matju@...>
Date: 2001-12-10T13:50:27+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:28058] Re: Perl/Python Module Porting

On Sun, 9 Dec 2001, Massimiliano Mirra wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 08, 2001 at 01:29:52PM +0900, Mathieu Bouchard wrote:
> > 2. In Ruby, there is _no_ equivalent to SCALAR. In Ruby, variables are not
> > objects; in Perl they are fcv ("first-class value")
> Is that the reason why something like this cannot be done?
> class Integer
>   def double!
>     self = self * 2
>   end
> end

yes. For that reason I'd call Perl/C++ "variable-oriented", and I'd call
Ruby/Lisp/Smalltalk "value-oriented".

If you could change the value of "self" in Ruby, following value-oriented
style, it would just mean that the rest of the method is going to be in
the context of a different object; the object originally pointed by
"self" wouldn't be changed, nor would the variable you used in the
expression that called that method.

> (A delegate with @value as the Intenger would be a solution, but I
> wonder: is there any redefinition or inheritance way to do the above?)

I don't think there's much benefit going beyond delegation. I may even do
explicit #value/#value= instead. My main use for integer variables would
be for model/view intboxes, scrollbar, sliders, etc; not much more than
that.

________________________________________________________________
Mathieu Bouchard                   http://hostname.2y.net/~matju