(j3.2006) Public Comment J32034

[Van Snyder]

On Wed, 2008-07-16 at 19:28 -0600, Jim Giles wrote:
> ASSOCIATE isn't a new consruct, so I didn't comment on it at all.
> Actually I find it appalling.

It's just an inline internal procedure.  What's appalling about that?

It's a degenerate case of SELECT TYPE, with prettier and less confusing
spelling than

  SELECT TYPE ( A => <messy designator> )
  CLASS DEFAULT
    stuff involving A instead of <messy designator>
  END SELECT

We really did find SELECT TYPE to be indispensible to a complete
object-oriented programming system.

In both cases, the <associat-name> is modeled on a dummy argument, and
the relationship between the <associate-name> and the <selector> is
modeled on argument association.

-- 
Van Snyder                    |  What fraction of Americans believe 
Van.Snyder at jpl.nasa.gov       |  Wrestling is real and NASA is fake?
Any alleged opinions are my own and have not been approved or
disapproved by JPL, CalTech, NASA, the President, or anybody else.