[Newbies] Newbie: Error Checking in Dynamically typed Language

[Aditya Siram]

Hi all,
This is my first time working with a dynamically typed environment and my 
first instinct is to error check all arguments. For example suppose I want 
to create an object to represent an octet in an IP address (a number between 
0 and 256) I would do something like this:

Object subclass: #Octet
    instanceVariables: 'octetValue'
    ......

initialize
    super initialize.
    octetValue := 0.

setOctetValue: numBtw0And256
    octetValue = numBtw0And256        <-------Here's where I have a problem

How do I know the numBtw0And256 is actually an integer between 0 and 256 and 
not 'cat' or '3.14'?

Since I came from statically typed languages I feel like I writing a whole 
bunch of error  checking code along the lines of ifIsInteger: ... etc which 
doesn't seem to be in the spirit of Squeak.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks

Deech

_________________________________________________________________
WIN up to $10,000 in cash or prizes – enter the Microsoft Office Live 
Sweepstakes http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/aub0050001581mrt/direct/01/