Hi Piero,

If you can defer class variable initialization to the time you will use it,
 it is recomended to use a deffered initialization mechanism.
Consider this kind of initialization:

Object subclass: #Elephant
	instanceVariableNames: ' head body tale '
	classVariableNames: ' Dumbo '
	poolDictionaries: ''
	category: 'My Category'!

!MyClass class methodsFor: 'accessing' stamp: 'ale 15/12/1999 09:23'!
dumbo
    "Returns Dumbo (the singleton elephant)."
    Dumbo isNil ifTrue: [ self initializeDumbo ].
    ^Dumbo! !

!MyClass class methodsFor: 'initialization' stamp: 'ale 15/12/1999 09:24'!
initializeDumbo
    " Private - Initialize Dumbo."
    Dumbo := self new actAsDumbo;yourself ! !

Using deffered initialization and accessors for global variables
 you does not need to initialize the hole class...
Consider that can can be a situation that you must initialize
 states only at proper time... only in this situations
 I consider interesting to use an explisit initialization.

Hope this can help to does not depend on #initialize messages
 at end of a fileIn. (if all the source code has not filedin;
 the class cant be used...
 And if fileIn is aborted the class will not work properly)

cheers,
Ale.


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De: 	Piero Campanelli[SMTP:campanelli at skylink.it]
Responder a: 	campanelli at skylink.it
Enviado el: 	Domingo 19 de Diciembre de 1999 07:27
Para: 	squeak at cs.uiuc.edu
Asunto: 	Basic smalltalk browser question: class variables initialization

Hi.

I have a problem with class variables initialization. I made some classes
with class variables that need to be initialized first time. So after class
creation i do a:

	MyClassName initialize

and all works !

But what happens when i 'File Out'  my sources for another running image ?
When you do a 'File In' in a new image you have to remember to do a
"MyClassName initialize". Probably there is another method ......isn't there
?

Bye