So this problem I posted on squeak-dev about BDFFontReader and how it
has its own #new class method to create new instances of itself, but
in doing so failed to also send an #initialize message to each new
instance and thus when it was actually used an instance variable was
left as nil when it should not have been.
One recommendation was to simply remove the #new method and thus
default to the superclass #new which, if I'm not mistaken, would then
result in #new from Behaviour to be invoked and that one does also
send #initialize to self.
I think, IIUC, this recommendation only makes sense because
BDFFontReader is a direct subclass of Object.
Initially though this recommendation didn't make any sense to me
because I didn't know how the implementation of #new in Behaviour is
different from strict Smalltalk-80 as I understand it. I.e.
originally in Smalltalk-80 #new did not also send #initialize, but now
in Squeak it does.
Just for fun I did a search for senders of #basicNew and I found quite
a few which are from #new methods in classes which subclass directly
from Object and which are in classes that also define their own
#initialize method. The curious bit is how some of these #new methods
do send #initialize, but not all. I'm guessing some that don't are
for abstract classes, but is it true that all are?
Now I read on the WWW that the added sending of #initialize from
Behaviournew was added in 3.9.
Unfortunately whomever actually did the change failed to document the
important differences here, and why! How is it that with such a
wonderful system for documenting code we still end up with totally
missing documentation? I've now gone on a huge wild goose chase
because of this. How many others who have not kept track of how
Squeak is evolving away from other Smalltalk-80 implementations will
waste similar amounts of time?
I'm guessing that some of the now unnecessary #new methods are simply
still not cleaned up since then? If so, why not? They're easy enough
to find!
Also, doesn't this still create an _enormous_ portability problem with
other Smalltalks?
(BTW, I'm not even sure I buy into any of the other arguments for
having default invocation of #initialize, i.e. those beyond the
blatant incompatibility with what seems to be _all_ other
implementations and _all_ existing documentation about the
fundamentals of Smalltalk. I remember naively thinking this would be
a good idea way back in the early 80's when I last spent any amount of
time fiddling with Smalltalk, and I also seem to remember all the wise
gurus around me quietly patting me on the head and telling me that no,
such a change would not be welcome, and I should just learn to do
things explicitly like they should be done.)
--
Greg A. Woods; Planix, Inc.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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