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From: Richard Riehle <rriehle@nunic.nu.edu>
Subject: Re: polymophism
Date: 1996/11/29
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.961129145346.24389B-100000@nunic.nu.edu>#1/1
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organization: National University, San Diego
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Date: 1996-11-29T00:00:00+00:00
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On 26 Nov 1996, Peter Hermann wrote:

> What is "polymophism" ?


  Peter,

  Good question.  Polymorphism is somewhat like a kiss.

  In polymorphism, a message is interpreted at the time it is
  received, by the receiving object.  So if you kiss your mother,
  the same message, a kiss, will be processed differently (we hope)
  that it would be interpreted by your girl friend, wife (or both).
  If you kiss your elderly aunt, the message will be processed in
  different way than if you kiss you infant son or daughter.  If you
  are Frenchman greeting each other, there is a totally different
  message sent both directions.  

  A beautiful princess may go around kissing frogs.  Each frog may
  process the message (the kiss) differently.   However, one of the
  many frogs may process the message such that it transforms itself
  into a handsome prince.  

  One might, therefore, say that polymorphism is analogous to the
  beautiful princess kissing a frog.  

  Richard Riehle