Dyso object system

SS 4Nov2004:

This page is deprecated instead check: Odys object system.

Please add your comments at the end of the page.

Note: I'm looking for suggestions about how to implement such an OOP system in Pure Tcl (8.4) as fast as possible to have an usable prototype.

 # The following is a draft for an OOP system for Tcl.
 # It's NOT the implementation, it only shows the semantic of the system
 # that follows this guide lines:
 #
 # - To be a simple class-based OOP system with single inheritance.
 # - Coherent, classes are objects.
 # - Very dynamic:
 #   * Objects can change class at runtime
 #   * Classes can be modified a runtime
 #   * Support for the 'unknown' method of classes
 # - To be not unusual without a good reason. Many folks will recognize
 #   it as a simple class based OOP system at the first look.
 # - Sematically similar to SmallTalk.
 #
 # This is my first draft. Comments are welcome.
 #
 # I called this object system "DYSO", DYnamic Simple Object system.
 
 # Class definition. Single inheritance.
 
 class toaster {
     var toasted
     method toast n {
         incr toasted $n
     }
 }
 
 class smartoaster extend toaster {
     method toast n {
         if {$toaster > 10} {
             error "fire!"
         }
         $self parent toast $n
     }
 }
 
 class skeleton {
     var x 4
     var y
     classvar foobar 10
     method init ...
     method free ...
 }
 
 set t [new toaster]
 $t toast 10
 $t toast 20
 
 puts [$t class] ;# returns the class object
 puts [$t class name] ;# toaster
 $t chclass smarttoaster ;# Change its class
 $t class methods; # Returns a list of methods defined in the class
 
 # Everything may change at runtime
 
 $t class setmethod clean {} {
     set toasted 0
 }
 $t class delmethod clean ;# delete the method
 $t class args foobar ;# get arguments of method foobar
 $t class body foobar ;# get body of method foobar
 $t class vars ;# get a list of instance variables
 $t class classvars ;# get a list of class variables
 $t class addvar x $val ;# Add instance variable x with default value of $val
 $t class delvar x ;# Del instance variable x
 $t class addclassvar x $val; #Add class variable x with default value of $val
 $t class delclassvar x ;# Del class variable x
 
 # Relations between classes may change at runtime
 
 $t class chparent foobarClass
 
 # Supports object cloning
 
 set foo [$t clone]
 
 # Support for costructor/destructor
 class file {
     var fd
     method init filename {
         set fd [open $filename]
     }
     method free {} {
         close $fd
     }
 }
 
 # Support an unknown method that receive calls to methods not defined
 # in the object's class or parent classes.
 class foobar {
     method unknown {name args} {
         puts "method '$name' called with args '$args'"
     }
 }

Category Object Orientation