From: jmichel@... (Jean Michel)
Date: 2000-12-31T21:10:02+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:8399] Re: My first impression of Ruby. Lack of overloading? (long)

In article <978110491.341032.18639.nullmailer@ev.netlab.zetabits.com>,
Yukihiro Matsumoto <matz@zetabits.com> wrote:
>...
>How about using "double dispatch"?
>
>  class Foo
>    def action(arg)
>      arg.action_Foo(self)
>    end
>  end
>
>  class Bar
>    def action_Foo(arg)
>      ... action for combination of Foo and Bar
>    end
>  end
>

Nice concept. Does not this suggest that method + for Numeric
behave like:

  def +(arg)
   if arg_can_be_considered_as_numeric
     do_addition_as_usual
   else
     arg.add_Numeric(self)
   end
  end

rather than the current mechanism with coerce?

Best regards,
    Jean MICHEL