Do you know that there is a Self 4.0? It is available at our WEB site (http://self.sunlabs.com). Maybe the manual is clearer.

Anyway here are the specific answers (hope they help):

(| mySlot = ( randomNumber ) |)

This creates an object with one slot, "mySlot" containing a method that sends randomNumber to self. Informal rule: slot initializers enclosed in parens parse as methods.

aVar: ( randomNumber )

sends random Number to self and then sends aVar to self with the result as its argument.

Rule: in the body of a method, parens are just for grouping.

Finally:

foo.bar is always parsed as a resend.

If you want a statement separator, you must leave a space (I think). (foo. bar)

Rule: always leave a space (or newline, etc) after a period used as a statement separator.

Good luck!

At 3:16 PM 9/2/96, Pierre De Pascale wrote:

Hello selfer's,

I have read the self 3.0 reference manual and stopped at the appendix where the syntax of the self language was presented. In particular the syntax presented is highly ambiguous, but a small foot-note says that the ambiguities are resolved using standard precedence techniques.

But I still got some problems:

1. when you initialize a slot. How do you determine if it is a method

or a simple value ? for example:

   (| mySlot = ( randomNumber ) |)

what is the meaning of the mySlot initialization: do I initialize mySlot with a one-time call to randomNumber (i.e. mySlot is a value slot) or mySlot returns a new randomNumber everytime (i.e mySlot is a method) ?

2. a same kind of ambiguities appears in expressions: what is the

meaning of this expression ?

   aVariable: ( randomNumber )

Do I initialize aVariable with one random number, in this case () are for precedence reason, or with the object "(randomNumber)", in this case a method object.

3. how can you detect a resend ? for example:

   myResendSlot.resendMethod
   
   

This could be interpreted as a directed resend or two expressions consisting of two method sends, one myResendSlot and one resendMethod. How do you make the difference ? is there a runtime decision of the meaning ?

It may be possible that those issues were already discussed in this mailing list. Since I subscribed only lately I was lazy enough not to check the past issues. Just tell me if I need to kick myself :^)

thanks,

• Pierre.

-- Dave