simple object model (was: [self-interest] selfing Self)

[Steve Dekorte]

On Friday, March 30, 2001, at 11:59 AM, Jecel Assumpcao Jr wrote:

>
>> So
>> now I'm in process of thinking out a more flexible but yet powerful
>> language. By now I have implemented two experimental versions of
>> Self. But I need something different.
>
> Me too, but more in the spirit of Self than the Self-inspired languages
> of the early 1990s.
>
>>> Like a simple object model: objects are just flat association lists
>>> (I'll use Lisp notation below) -
>>>
>>>        (x 3 y 4)
>>
>> flat list has an array structure rather than linked list?

How about a hash table? NewtonScript, JavaScript, and Lua use simple hash
tables for "objects". An object becomes simply a hash table that holds 
both data
and functions. For example:

Dog =
{
   name = "fido",
   bark = function (self) print("bark") end
}

To get inheritance add the simple rule:

if table lookup fails and table has a parent name/value pair then 
perform the
lookup on the parent value.

Steve