[Modules] Upper case message names for accessing modules

Hannes Hirzel hirzel at spw.unizh.ch
Wed Feb 13 17:55:59 UTC 2002


Hi

On the swiki page
http://minnow.cc.gatech.edu/squeak/2252
Creating and accessing modules in code

where it is explained how to access modules:
Module @ path
Module fromPath: path
Module @ #(Squeak VMConstruction)

a new way of accessing submodules was added
<citation>
You can also send uppercase messages to a module to access its
submodules. So if moduleA has a submodule named ModuleB:

    moduleA ModuleB
This will return the submodule. Ie. the message is the exact name of the
submodule.
</citation>


I don't like this idea. It sacrifies regularity of the syntax for a tiny
benefit.

    (moduleA subModule: #ModuleB)

is a construct on can understand with ease and is no big additional effort
for to write down.

Perhaps the reason for a short form of notation is that accessing
submodules will be something performed very often. But even then 
I would prefer the standard Smalltalk message send solution.

Cheers
Hannes Hirzel




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