From: "zimbatm ..." <zimbatm@...>
Date: 2009-06-10T06:09:30+09:00
Subject: Re: monkeypatch-0.1.2 (alpha)

Thomas Sawyer wrote:
> Besides the issues you mention (new API and adoption), I see other
> reasons something like this isn't going to make much headway.

The next version will support a better conflict detection engine that 
should make it robust
enough to be useful even with zero adoption.

> 1. You can use -w ruby option to get warnings about methods that are
> redefined.

This is not the same. It will also catch method redefinitions inside 
your project. Monkeypatch is for external code (core, stdlib and vendor) 
patching.

> 2. Raising an error on a method redefinition is too much. There are
> times when that's what you need to do, say to temporary patch a bug.

Discussed earlier. But to be precide, the idea is to add a non-raising 
condition that will detect
if the bug still exists before applying the patch.

> 3. Using a standardized extension library like ActiveSupport or Facets
> is a fairly safe bet for the more common extensions.

I agree by some degree. But it's also what makes them so popular. 
Because testing your code against different extension libraries is 
exponentially difficult.

> 4. Using a unique method name, eg. String#smith_to_s if your project
> is called Smith, is a fairly safe bet for more specialized extensions.

true but it doesn't apply for all the cases.

> Given all this I don't think this kind of API is worth the effort. The
> real solution is, of course, Selector Namespaces. That's a more worthy
> pursuit, IMO. But as far as I know, no one has yet been able to come
> up with a fully comprehensible and user-friendly design for that. I
> start to wonder if it is even possible.

One doesn't forbid the other. Selector namespaces is an interesting 
idea, and you'll see
I point to a similar project in the README.rdoc file.

What I want, is a tool I can use right now, which doesn't require to 
change the language.
Maybe this project can also be a tool to promote alternative and better 
solutions in the longer term. What do you think ? Send me your critical 
comments, I like it :)

Cheers,
   zimbatm
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