From: David Alan Black <dblack@...>
Date: 2002-07-05T10:18:12+09:00
Subject: Re: self_parent

Hi --

On Fri, 5 Jul 2002, Tom Sawyer wrote:

> hi david,
>
> yes the REXML isn't really a good example, it was just a passing
> thought. you may a good point. using a "Factory" would add a
> consideration for self_parent's use. but i don't see how it could
> possibly "constrain code and code growth significantly." when one
> designs a program it is exactly that: designed. no what i'm saying?
> self_parent is just another tool.

I can't argue with that last point, except to say I think there are
good tools and bad tools :-)  But as for constraining code and code
growth: if different classes have hardcoded into them information
about how many method calls back certain objects were created, it
would make it essentially impossible to maintain and develop code
libraries -- because every time you did something like my example with
Factory, other people's code would break.

Of course, there are software updates which break old code.  But
modifying an API is different from asking people to change
"self_parent" to "self_parent.self_parent" (for example) because
you've refactored a class.


David

-- 
David Alan Black
home: dblack@candle.superlink.net
work: blackdav@shu.edu
Web:  http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav