>I may have missed this someplace, but in the method
>
>	ThingLabInstance makeMethodFor: message
>
>there are constructs like:
>
>	recursive ifTrue: [#copy.instance:] ifFalse: [#set.instance:]
>
>What are these blocks?

Les -

For the benefit of others, this expression occurred in the following construct...

	copyNode _ MessageNode new
		receiver: defNode
		selector: (recursive ifTrue: [#copy.instance:] ifFalse: [#set.instance:])
		arguments: (Array with: (encoder encodeVariable: 'self'))
		precedence: #copy.instance: precedence
		from: encoder.

so copyNode is being set to a MessageNode whose selector is one of two Symbols.  To understand where this leads, you have ot jump to TL's def for doesNotUnderstand:, which begins with...

	"added ThingLab code follows: "
	(self tryCompilingThingLabCodeFor: aMessage selector) ifTrue:
		[^self perform: aMessage selector withArguments: aMessage arguments].

This in turn will compile the necessary sharing or copying method on demand, but I haven't tracked it down any farther than that.  Some of it may not even work yet, as I don't think any of the examples I tried triggered this code.

	- Dan