Re: Ada 2005?

[jayessay <nospam@foo.com>]

"Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> writes:

> On 21 Dec 2004 12:10:21 -0500, jayessay wrote:
> 
> > 1. For an example of of multiple dispatch, see generic functions,
> >    method resolution and dispatch in CLOS:
> > 
> > http://www.lispworks.com/reference/HyperSpec/Body/07_f.htm
> > http://www.lispworks.com/reference/HyperSpec/Body/07_ff.htm
> 
> The problem with MD is not target method resolution, which is quite
> trivial, but safety in presence of inheritance with combinatorial
> explosion of target methods to override

Method combination and consistency is part of method resolution by any
reasonable assesment.


> I doubt that CLOS seriously approaches the problem.

That's an odd statement, and it is just uninformed opinion which
happens to be factually incorrect.  If you really would like to
understand the issues you should read the hyperspec sections noted
above as a start.  This will give you a programmer's (user's) view of
things albeit from a language specification angle.

More information as to the what, hows, and wherefores can be found in
(1) and further insight and rationale is detailed in the MOP (2).

It's worth noting that CLOS method combination is actually
programmable.  There are several versions supplied as part of the
specification (including the 'standard method combination'), but the
protocol and semantics of how to define others is also defined and
specified.


/Jon

1. Common Lisp the Language, second edition; Guy Steele

2. The Art of the Metaobject Protocol; Gregor Kiczales, Jim Rivieres,
   Daniel Bobrow

-- 
'j' - a n t h o n y at romeo/charley/november com