From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Status: No, score=1.4 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_50,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fac41,e01bd86884246855 X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,fb1663c3ca80b502 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: "Bob Allen" Subject: Re: Interresting thread in comp.lang.eiffel Date: 2000/07/12 Message-ID: <#flPTbB7$GA.367@cpmsnbbsa07>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 645514407 References: <8ipvnj$inc$1@wanadoo.fr> <8j67p8$afd$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <395886DA.CCE008D2@deepthought.com.au> <3958B07B.18A5BB8C@acm.com> <395A0ECA.940560D1@acm.com> <8jd4bb$na7$1@toralf.uib.no> <8jfabb$1d8$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8jhq0m$30u5$1@toralf.uib.no> <8jt4j7$19hpk$1@ID-9852.news.cis.dfn.de> <3963CDDE.3E8FB644@earthlink.net> <3963DEBF.79C40BF1@eiffel.com> <2LS85.6100$7%3.493920@news.flash.net> <8k5aru$1odtq$1@ID-9852.news.cis.dfn.de> <8k8pk2$20cab$1@ID-9852.news.cis.dfn.de> <_dS95.9945$7%3.666180@news.flash.net> X-Priority: 3 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.eiffel Date: 2000-07-12T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: David K Allen wrote in message news:qe_a5.259$6E.64803@ptah.visi.com... > Riddle: > When is a contract not a contract? > Answer: > When they are two different words representing different concepts but > spelled and/or sounding the same (homonyms). > ----------------------------------------- > "Ken Garlington" wrote in separate posts > > > Wouldn't both sides have to agree to this contract for it to be legally > > valid? > > > You understand, of course, that standard contracts are in fact negotiated? > You are correct that both sides have to agree to the terms of the contract for it to be legally valid, but not all contracts are negotiated, some are take it or leave it. When first developing a set of classes, you negotiate with the people on your team, and yourself to formulate the contract. Then when you publish your terms the people who may be interested in using your classes know where they stand. When you go to X-Mart and see an item that you like, you enter into a contract with X-Mart where if you give X-Mart a predetermined amount of money, X-Mart will in turn give you the item you like. Most of the time it is a take it or leave it contract, but it is still a contract. If you do not like the terms of the contract you can go to Y-Mart and see if they have a better deal. You expect X-Mart and Y-Mart to have the items priced so that you know the terms of the contract before you try and execute it. The same applies when you go to build a system based in part or in whole of existing components. You look at the contract that the components offer and decide if the terms are acceptable. If not find a different component. If the component did not tell you its costs and the benefits how could you determine if it is what you want. It would be an unmarked grab bag. You would not know what you are getting nor what it costs, without having to look inside the bag and asking a sales person for a price check. Both of these activities are time consumming. Bob Allen Bob's Weekend Wonders Training and Consulting Land O Lakes, FL