Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!news.mathworks.com!uhog.mit.edu!grapevine.lcs.mit.edu!olivea!uunet!psinntp!uu1030!sparco!shoe
From: shoe@objectSpace.com (Brett L. Schuchert)
Subject: Re: Re[2]: Looking for Development Platform Recommendations
In-Reply-To: Kyle Brown's message of Mon, 31 Oct 1994 16:40:01 LCL
Message-ID: <SHOE.94Nov3143934@sparco.sparco>
Sender: shoe@objectSpace.com (Brett L. Schuchert)
Organization: objectSpace, Inc.
References: <9409317836.AA783650401@ksc.ksccary.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 20:39:34 GMT
Lines: 27

>If a language does not support ALL FOUR of:
>
>Objects (i.e. encapsulations of hidden state + named operations)
>Classes
>Inheritance
>Polymorphism

Definitions change.

Classes are a cary-over from languages like C and Pascal. Check out 
prototype based programming like Self (I may be sorry I mentioned it
hear considering recent postings regarding Self at OOPSLA).

Self has objects but it does not have classes. Instead of
instantiation, it has cloning (and yes there _is_ a difference). Also,
several years ago (OOPSLA 89 or 87?) there was a paper showing that
inheritance and deligation are equivalent. Therefore, the Wegner
definition, while useful, should not be consider the word of god
(assuming you're not an athiest).

You're complaint is valid WRT visual basic but so many people use
inheritance incorrectly that maybe it's a good that that visual basic
doesn't have inheritance.

Don't be too rigid in your thinking.

shoe
