More mechanisms exist

Post #13,849 by tuberculosis 10/17/01 6:37:21 PM 8/21/07 6:19:05 AM Reply	More mechanisms exist Just not necessarily in Java. For instance, message forwarding - as provided in ObjectiveC and Smalltalk allows you to add the ability to respond to more messages by simply associating an object as a delegate. I explain this mechanism on my (slowly growing) weblog [link\|http://ventedspleen.weblogger.com/stories/storyReader$6\|The Vented Spleen]. Scott's recommendations RE visitor and strategy are also good. Lurkers - I'm also looking for new topic ideas. XSL just might be next based on Scott's recent (and my not so recent) experiments. The goal is to point to stuff thats overhyped and that replaces stuff that used to work better.
Post #13,855 by admin 10/17/01 7:09:43 PM Reply	Go for the XSL as a topic for sure. I've got some good suggestions for that column if you need them. :-) Inthane: now that Todd has raised the specter of Smalltalk and ObjectiveC... there are a whole host of languages that don't require you to inherit/implement any particular defined interface. If the object responds to a method, then everything is happy. Python is like that too. You can inherit if you want to (multiple at that) but it isn't necessary. Regards, -scott anderson
Post #13,884 by inthane-chan 10/17/01 9:59:47 PM Reply	The problem right now... ...is too much learning to do, not enough time. Soon as I get done with school, hopefully things will be a little more sane. :P "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Post #13,991 by tuberculosis 10/18/01 1:57:35 PM 8/21/07 6:25:04 AM Reply	I'd love to hear them mail em to tblanchard at mac dot com if you want
Post #13,999 by admin 10/18/01 2:35:46 PM Reply	Couple of quickies: 1) Can't set variables. You can set constants, but not change them. 2) Everything is recursive. You have to do really convoluted things to increment a variable, for example. 3) Everything must be valid XML. What this means in practice is that you can't string together links (a href="[link\|http://some/url/[some\|http://some/url/[some] inserted data]") without doing obtuse verbose cartwheels. 4) Verbose, verbose, verbose. XSL looks to be over twice as big as a corresponding template-style solution. 5) I have yet to figure out how to URL-quote stuff in XSL. 6) Sloooooow. XSL was twice as slow as a corresponding template-style solution (Velocity) in my testing. Enough to get you started? :-) Regards, -scott anderson
Post #14,108 by static 10/19/01 1:06:47 AM Reply	eXtensible Mangling Language It's looking like XSL is shaping up to be How Not To Create A Language That Can ReWrite Itself. Or something. I must admit I got lost reading an overview of how XSL is supposed to work. Wade. "All around me are nothing but fakes Come with me on the biggest fake of all!"
Post #14,397 by deSitter 10/21/01 3:45:14 AM Reply	Heh In practice, XML is more or less like a shitty COBOL program. Call it "Dynamic Bad COBOL". Or "BRACKETBOL". I'm sure that in your genius hands it's a marvel. What I saw at Mastercard, for a massive Java application, was not very impressive. But then again, neither are the H1Bs who made itl.
Post #14,035 by inthane-chan 10/18/01 5:11:44 PM Reply	That's how VB defines things... ...much as I hate to admit using VB... If I've got a method or function, something else can call it. "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

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