A better name for the class Project, was: Re: [BUG][Modules] Finding class Project

Hannes Hirzel hirzel at spw.unizh.ch
Mon Feb 25 09:42:42 UTC 2002


On Mon, 25 Feb 2002, Henrik Gedenryd wrote:

> Hannes Hirzel wrote:
> 
> > As I learned from your answer to Alexandre there is a module called
> > #Project as well as the class called #Project. Do you plan to unify
> > these two in the future?
> 
> I had the idea that we ought to change the name of Projects (as in the
> class) because I think it is too generic a term to describe what they really
> are. As the term Project was introduced by the SqC folks, I could never
> figure out quite what they had in mind until I read the implementation. And
> that is a good hint that there is a naming problem I guess.
> 
> The class uses the term Project as it is used at the open charter school in
> LA (I am guessing, cf. the school term "science project") rather than the
> sense of Project in the rest of the Squeak world. They are really vehicles
> for holding objects (drawings, demos, etc.), as opposed to code.

Thanks for the explanation: this helps to clarify what the class named
'Project' is really responsible for.
 
> So the best definition of Project that I could come up with was "the type of
> thing you create on a Dynabook". But that is a bit long for a class name! It
> was hard to come up with a name for this and the best I could come up with
> was that they are Creations, as in "The Act of Creation" by Arthur Koestler.
> (I.e. you can save and share your "creations" via the superswiki.) Perhaps
> Alan has any thoughts on this?
> 

[snip]

> Perhaps "Worksheet" wouldn't be so bad? At least it captures what the class
> Project actually does. It collects objects (and code) that you create.
> 

"Worksheet' conceptually conflicts with the well established notion of
"Workspace". That would have to be renamed then to e.g. "EvaluationWindow"
or something like that, which it's actually is. With Morphic (especially
with MorphicWrappers) the whole screen is a "Workspace". 


What about

- DynaPage
- DynaSlide
- DynaScreen
- Slide
- MorphicWorld  (then the global now called World would have to be renamed
                 to TopMorph or something like that.)

Actually I do not feel at ease with my proposals but maybe they prompt
somebody other to come up with something better. The problem is that many
slots for naming (e.g. Screen, Display, World) are already taken.

Cheers
Hannes Hirzel




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