HELP FLAVOUR_LIBRARY Mark Rubinstein April 1986
Updated A. Schoter, June 1991
This help file lists protocols for flavours and messages autoloadable
from the flavours library. For full details of the flavours system you
should see TEACH * FLAVOURS.
Each flavour listed here follows a standard for documenting flavour
protocols. All immediate components and all instance variables are
listed. Methods inherited from components are not listed. If the
message or the flavour is not built in but autoloadable then that is
stated at the start of the description. If message has an updater
message defined then that is stated at the end of the description.
Flavours and messages documented elsewhere are not documented here
except to name the appropriate help file. The message printself is
never documented.
For protocols of *METAFLAVOURS, see REF * METAFLAVOUR_FLAVOUR.
-- CONTENTS - (Use <ENTER> g to access sections) -----------------------
-- Related libraries
-- Protocol for bag_flavour
-- Protocol for collection_flavour
-- Protocol for ivalofinit_flavour
-- Protocol for named_object_flavour
-- Protocol for vanilla_flavour-- Related libraries ---------------------------------------------------
First, some flavour related libraries that are neither flavours or
messages.
isinstance(object, flave or false);
Returns true iff <object> is an instance and it is an instance of
<flave> or an instance of a flavour that inherits from <flave>. In
other words checks if <object> has the properties of <flave>. If
<flave> is -false- then returns true iff object is an instance.
make_instance([fname rest....]);
Makes an instance of the flavour named <fname> and then sends the
message "initialise" with the argument <rest> (the tail of the list)
iff the flavour responds to the message "initialise". See details
of method initialise in the section on protocol for vanilla_flavour.
quitmessage;
This is a syntax word in the same way as *QUITLOOP is. It is used
for jumping out of a message cleanly and can be called from within a
primary method or a deamon. Any changes already made to instance
variables will be saved but any further computation either in
daemons or primary methods will not be executed. It is a bit like:
exitfrom(syssendmessage)
but it is better as it ensures the saving of instance variables.
ved_mcf
Mark Current Flavour (in ved).
ved_lcf
Load Current Flavour (in ved).
-- Protocol for bag_flavour --------------------------------------------
A mixin which has a few of the attributes of flavours which have a
list of contents of arbitrary length. Could do with extending. (See
also collection_flavour q.v.)
A mixin
Inherits from vanilla.
Instance variables are contents.
add(OBJ)
Adds OBJ to the contents.
remove(OBJ)
Removes OBJ from the contents (if present).
present(OBJ) -> BOOL;
Returns OBJ iff OBJ is present in the contents, otherwise returns
-false-.
appcontents(MESS)
appcontents(MESS, ARGS_VECTOR)
appcontents(PDR)
Applies the argument to each of the contents. If the argument is a
word then sends the message MESS to each of the contents. If a
vector of arguments is provided then the message MESS is sent to
each of the contents with the arguments given in the vector. If the
argument is a procedure then it is applied to each of the contents.
mapcontents(MESS)
mapcontents(MESS, ARGS_VECTOR)
mapcontents(PDR)
Like appcontents above but each object is replaced by the result of
sending the message (or applying the procedure to it).
make_instance(INIT_LIST) -> INST
INIT_LIST should be a list as provided to the procedure
-make_instance-. This method will make and return an instance and
also add it to the contents.
-- Protocol for collection_flavour -------------------------------------
A mixin for bags in which each of the contents are distinct -- no
duplicates are kept.
A mixin
Inherits from bag and vanilla.
Instance variables are contents.
There are before daemons on the method "add" to ensure that duplicates
do not arise.
-- Protocol for ivalofinit_flavour -------------------------------------
A mixin whose initialise method will shadow the default one in
vanilla. The only difference between the two is that this one
expects all initable facets to be instance variables and uses ivalof
to update them.
A mixin
Inherits from vanilla.
initialise(initlist)
If list is [m1 v1 m2 v2 m3 v3...] then keeps updating self with the
'v' elements to the message 'm' elements using -ivalof-. I.e.
v1 -> ivalof(self, m1);
v2 -> ivalof(self, m2);
etc.
Sent by -make_instance- after creating an instance.
-- Protocol for named_object_flavour -----------------------------------
A mixin encapsulating features of objects with names.
A mixin.
Inherits from vanilla.
Instance variables are name.
-- Protocol for vanilla_flavour ----------------------------------------
The base flavour inherited by all flavours by default.
A mixin.
browseself
This message is autoloaded. Activates the browser on the instance.
See HELP * BROWSESELF_MESSAGE for details.
copyself
This message is autoloaded. Returns a copy of the instance.
default_method(M)
Executed when message M is not otherwise received. Tries to
autoload a file called M_message.p (where M is the message). If
that doesn't work then a MISHAP is called. This method has an
updater. (see HELP * DEFAULT_METHOD for more details).
initialise(initlist)
If list is [m1 v1 m2 v2 m3 v3...] then keeps updating self with the
'v' elements to the message 'm' elements. I.e. v1 -> self<-m1;
v2 -> self<-m2 etc. Sent by -make_instance- after creating an
instance.
libcompilemessage(m, update:boolean);
Keeps trying to compile files from *POPAUTOLIST called <m>_message.p
until self will respond to the message m (or the update message m if
<update> is true).
myflavour
This message is autoloaded. Returns the flavour of self. This
message has an updater which can be used to change the flavour of
self.
--- C.all/help/flavour_library
--- Copyright University of Sussex 1992. All rights reserved. ----------