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=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID
	autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: fac41,2c6139ce13be9980
X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public
X-Google-Thread: 103376,3d3f20d31be1c33a
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
X-Google-Thread: 1108a1,2c6139ce13be9980
X-Google-Attributes: gid1108a1,public
X-Google-Thread: f43e6,2c6139ce13be9980
X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public
From: dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)
Subject: Re: Separation of IF and Imp: process issue?
Date: 1997/09/11
Message-ID: <dewar.873989654@merv>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 271678484
References: <33E9ADE9.4709@flash.net> <5utag9$o6s@newshub.atmnet.net>
 	<5v1gua$fkk@newshub.atmnet.net> <5v2k2n$1cfu$2@flood.weeg.uiowa.edu>
 	<5v4095$h62@newshub.atmnet.net> <34158D84.299F6103@calfp.co.uk>
 <JSA.97Sep9185541@alexandria.organon.com>
Organization: New York University
Newsgroups: comp.object,comp.software-eng,comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.eiffel
Date: 1997-09-11T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


Jon said

<<Which is a kind of 'round about way of indicating that OOP can be a
maintenance nightmare if not used very carefully.  It basically
results in a kind of "structured spaghetti code" (borrowing one of
Paul Graham's descriptions of it).>>


It is interesting to consider the view of the anti-use fanatics in the
Ada world. The argument about always using dots is that it is essential
to clearly know at all times where the thing you are calling is located.

But of course in a sense the whole idea of dynamic dispatching (I do wish
people would use exact features in discussions, and not the vague meaningless
catchall term OOP), is to make sure that you do NOT know where the code
you are calling is!

This does not mean it is terrible to use DD (indeed, as you know, I don't
think it is so terrible to use USE clauses). But it is a reminder that just
as overuse and incorrect use of USE can cause mainteance problems, overuse
and incorrect use of dynamic dispatching can be even worse (at least in the
former case, a simple static tool can put the dots back in for you).