From: Pit Capitain <pit@...>
Date: 2002-09-13T06:01:59+09:00
Subject: Re: not grasping the method overloading/multi-dispatch thing

On 12 Sep 2002, at 22:25, dblack@candle.superlink.net wrote:

> > (snipped my example of overloaded methods)
> >
> > So it really would be an addon to current Ruby, not breaking any
> > existing code.
> 
> True, it wouldn't break code, but it would (for me) completely change
> the "feel" of Ruby.  Also, I think we'd start to see very little of
> this:
> 
>    def meth(n)
> 
> and lots and lots of this, even where it wasn't necessary:
> 
>    def meth(Integer n)
> 
> I think the availability of this kind of thing would deter many people
> from exploring what is unique about Ruby.

That's a good point I haven't thought of.

I also think, as Tim Hunter mentioned, that it seems to be a code 
smell (at least in Ruby) to test the class of an argument.

Regards,
Pit