Re: [Xotcl] info method behaviour (interface proposal)

From: Artur Trzewik <mail_at_xdobry.de>
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 20:39:04 +0200

> sure. the point is, that we need both: an explicit interface for getting
> the details right and for distinguising as far as neccessary, and
> a high level interface, that hides part of this details for a user who
> does not care about these. for the latter case, an "info procs" or
> "info instprocs" is not the right way, since the names are not necessarily
> disjunct. a new thing called "info methods" that returns a list of
> method-objects (see last mail) could help here returning all the callable
> methods (which are procs, instprocs, mixins, filters).
>
> what is it, that would fit your needs best? what are you doing exactly?
>

Yes. I thing such new interface is needed

$object info methods

Is one to get all methods that object can understand.

Another one is to get additional meta information
I use this method to get all instprocs and the place, where they are defined
for my purposes.

Class instproc getAllFullInstMethods {} {
    set fmethods {}
    foreach m [[self] info instprocs] {
        lappend fmethods [list $m [self]]
        set marr($m) 1
    }
    foreach class [[self] info heritage] {
        foreach m [$class info instprocs] {
            if {![::info exist marr($m)]} {
                lappend fmethods [list $m $class]
                set marr($m) 1
            }
        }
    }
    return $fmethods
}

Such think sould be implemented internally (and not so unclean) and can be
used also for procs and mixins (instance or class).

$object info fullMethods myMethod
sould return list
{methodName methodType definitionPlace}

for example

Class A
A instproc foo1
A instproc foo2
Class B
B instproc foo1

B b
b proc foo3

b info fullMethods
>{foo3 proc b} {foo1 instproc B} {foo2 instproc A}
b info methods
>{foo1 foo2 foo3}

I think the method type can be rather not needed if man use
[Object isclass A]

Very similar interface is known by Smalltalk
Object>>responseTo: method
(return true or false if object understand message)

Behavior>>allSelectors
(get all methods)

Behavior>>findSelector: method
(get the definition class of method)

Artur Trzewik