From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: (from majordomo@localhost) by pauillac.inria.fr (8.7.6/8.7.3) id QAA18585; Fri, 8 Aug 2003 16:38:20 +0200 (MET DST) X-Authentication-Warning: pauillac.inria.fr: majordomo set sender to owner-caml-list@pauillac.inria.fr using -f Received: from concorde.inria.fr (concorde.inria.fr [192.93.2.39]) by pauillac.inria.fr (8.7.6/8.7.3) with ESMTP id QAA21968 for ; Fri, 8 Aug 2003 16:38:19 +0200 (MET DST) Received: from imo-d02.mx.aol.com (imo-d02.mx.aol.com [205.188.157.34]) by concorde.inria.fr (8.11.1/8.11.1) with ESMTP id h78EcIf28997 for ; Fri, 8 Aug 2003 16:38:18 +0200 (MET DST) Received: from artboreb@netscape.net by imo-d02.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v36_r1.1.) id 9.1d.9f186b8 (22683); Fri, 8 Aug 2003 10:38:07 -0400 (EDT) Received: from netscape.net (mow-m16.webmail.aol.com [64.12.180.132]) by air-in04.mx.aol.com (v95.12) with ESMTP id MAILININ44-589b3f33b5ce311; Fri, 08 Aug 2003 10:38:07 -0400 Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2003 10:38:06 -0400 From: artboreb@netscape.net (Arturo Borquez) To: skaller@ozemail.com.au (John Max Skaller) Cc: caml-list@inria.fr Subject: Re: [Caml-list] static class member.... MIME-Version: 1.0 Message-ID: <63FF6FC9.5B44987F.00958B05@netscape.net> X-Mailer: Atlas Mailer 2.0 X-AOL-IP: 200.54.132.56 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Loop: caml-list@inria.fr X-Spam: no; 0.00; caml-list:01 ozemail:01 woodyatt:01 stupid:01 abstracted:01 abstraction:01 ocamldoc:01 sensibly:01 non-trivial:01 encapsulate:01 abstractions:01 toxteth:01 glebe:01 2037,:01 9660:01 Sender: owner-caml-list@pauillac.inria.fr Precedence: bulk wyse words regards Arturo Borquez John Max Skaller wrote: >james woodyatt wrote: > > >> I would strongly second this advice. When I came to Ocaml from C++, I >> did not heed this advice-- and I wasted a lot of time learning why that >> was a mistake. > >Actaully, my advice to C++ programmers is the same :-) >Don't use classes. Plain old data structures are generally >better -- precisely because they *don't* provide encapsulation. > >This saves a whole lot of time writing methods, when you could >just manipulate the data structure directly. Just kill off >stupid Visitor patterns and things and write the code you need >without encumbering yourself with attempts to abstract things >that usually aren't abstract in the first place. > >In most business code, even the kinds which are in principle >abstractable are often best not abstracted simply because >there aren't enough instances of the abstraction to bother, >and the client is sure to change the rules and break your >polymorphism anyhow :-) > >An example where abstraction is useful: the back end >of a code generator (such as Ocaml itself, or Ocamldoc), >can sensibly be abstracted. However getting the abstraction >just right is a non-trivial exercise and it's often better >to do case by case encoding until the actual abstraction >emerges in the code itself (and then you can encapsulate it). > >To put this another way -- don't use abstractions unless you >have a strong theory that tells you what they actually are, >and even then, be circumspect ... > >-- >John Max Skaller, mailto:skaller@ozemail.com.au >snail:10/1 Toxteth Rd, Glebe, NSW 2037, Australia. >voice:61-2-9660-0850 > > >------------------- >To unsubscribe, mail caml-list-request@inria.fr Archives: http://caml.inria.fr >Bug reports: http://caml.inria.fr/bin/caml-bugs FAQ: http://caml.inria.fr/FAQ/ >Beginner's list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocaml_beginners > -- Arturo Borquez __________________________________________________________________ McAfee VirusScan Online from the Netscape Network. Comprehensive protection for your entire computer. Get your free trial today! http://channels.netscape.com/ns/computing/mcafee/index.jsp?promo=393397 Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 free of charge. Download Now! http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promo=380455 ------------------- To unsubscribe, mail caml-list-request@inria.fr Archives: http://caml.inria.fr Bug reports: http://caml.inria.fr/bin/caml-bugs FAQ: http://caml.inria.fr/FAQ/ Beginner's list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocaml_beginners