[cells-devel] Re: [cello-devel] Constructor syntax

[Kenny Tilton]

Thomas F. Burdick wrote:

>Kenny Tilton writes:
> > 
> > Thomas F. Burdick wrote:
> >
> > >So ... uh, which approach do you think is worse: using a
> > >c-slot-makunbound function that works for both normal and
> > >cell-mediated slots;
> >
> > In this contrast between normal and cell-mediated, does normal mean a 
> > slot specified:
> > 
> >     :cell nil
>
>I still need to work on my Cells-related terminology; I mean this
>case.  That way Cells-using programs could use the same makunbound for
>all objects, without worrying about where they came from.
>
OK. And you mean "all slots", as well.

Food for thought: slot-value is a back door. Not sure what that food 
means, tho, because for a while Cells /was/ mop-based and slot-value was 
not a back door. But that was slower and less portable. But those are 
practical concerns, not ideological. But consistency here might be a 
Good Thing if only for consistency's usual merits (hobgoblins 
notwithstanding).

More food: when slot-value was /not/ a backdoor, it was a nuisance to 
programming cells. I had to set a *backdoor* special to actually get the 
raw slot-value in Cell internals. ie, slot-value-using-class and its 
setter both had to (in all specializations) keep an eye out for 
*backdoor* access. OK, it is not the end of the world, but it may have 
been a Message From God, viz, that perhaps the transparency thing 
(making it seem as if CLOS does Cells) is a mistake: CLOS does /not/ do 
Cells. Cells by this thinking are not strictly an /extension/ of CLOS, 
but rather a distinct OO capability implemented thru CLOS. Less 
profoundly, should Cell internals ever care about slot bounditude, we'll 
be back into *backdoor* tricks.

Having to hack MCL folks' CLOSes becomes just another straw on the back 
at this point.

Thoughts?

kt

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