[Newbies] Feedback: Using Output as the Next Input

[Dan]

On 5 Dec 2014 at 1:13, Bert Freudenberg wrote:

> 
> > On 05.12.2014, at 00:49, Dan <dnorton at mindspring.com> wrote:
> > 
> > On 4 Dec 2014 at 23:22, Bert Freudenberg wrote:
> > 
> >> 
> >>> On 04.12.2014, at 23:14, Dan <dnorton at mindspring.com> wrote:
> >>> 
> >>> Howdy,
> >>> 
> >>> A class is instantiated and produces output in a data
> structure
> >> (array, collection, dictionary, 
> >>> ...). Upon each later (maybe months later) instantiation, the
> >> previous output is needed as 
> >>> input. What is the best way to do this for modest (not huge)
> >> output? Some possibilities:
> >>>   Externally - file out and file in
> >>>   Within the class - compile class methods containing the
> output;
> >> save with Montecello
> >>> 
> >>> I'm interested in how to dynamically compile a class method.
> Can
> >> Browser be invoked 
> >>> dynamically? In studying Browser and friends, it looks
> >> complicated. Am I missing something 
> >>> or attempting something foolish or ...?
> >> 
> >> Why wouldn't you just keep the "output" in the image and save
> it?
> >> When you restart it months later, it will be there.
> >> 
> >> - Bert -
> >> 
> > That surely is simpler than trying to compile a method.
> 
> Not that compiling a method is hard.
> 
That is encouraging. Is it something similar to "Dynamic Message Calling" described in the 
Terse Guide to Squeak?

> > I might put something like this in a package.
> 
> I'm not sure what you mean by that.
> 
I mean a package on SqueakMap where one can download it and try it out. I see there are 
over 700 packages out there for the choosing. A great variety. It's unfortunate that not all run 
on the current release of Squeak but maybe with a little work...  ;)

> > Would users find saving the image as... to be the expected way of
> doing things?
> > 
> > - Dan
> 
> Depends on who your users are. If you were the user ... you're
> saving your image all the time, right?
> 
Um, not exactly. But more often than in the past. I feel most comfortable saving with 
Montecello.

> Maybe you should be more specific in what data you want to store,
> how you want to distribute it, and who is going to use it.
> 
I have in mind a list of names which are matched randomly in pairs then filtered according to 
a set of rules. The output is a dictionary and the rules specify that no pair can be the same as 
previous (up to 3) instances. There are other rules and often hundreds of iterations take 
place before all pairs obey all the rules.

It might be used, as it is in our family, to draw names for Christmas. The person who runs the 
program distributes the results to those on the list.

- Dan