From: "T. Onoma" <transami@...>
Date: 2003-11-19T13:08:24+09:00
Subject: Duck Type System? ( was: stereotyping...er...way too long :)

a wrote:
 
> how about simply
> 
>   obj.respond_to? :read # => true
> 
>   obj.respond_to? :read, IO # => true
> 
>   obj.respond_to? :read, IO, Proc # => false
> 
> 
> becomes
> 
>   class Object
>     def respond_to?(meth, *signature)
>       # new stuff...
>     end
>   end
> 
> nice and backward compatible.  easy to remember.

a good improvement to #respond_to? no doubt, and easily implemented.

but duck_signiture would actually insepect a method to determine the respond_to? requirements of its parameters, which is quite a different sort of beast.

in fact, i think this is a good CHALLENGE FOR ALL RUBYISTS! Implement #duck_signiture in pure Ruby. can you do it!? ;)

if you become frustrated this is funny: 

  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/davebarry/emoticon.html

-t0