> I just
> want the damned browser to hide the prefixes (aka manual namespaces) like it
> formats the code, a simple aesthetic preference.

The only trouble is the problem is still not totally solved; you can
still have a conflict.

Magritte and Magma already both very nearly use the same prefix, "MA"
and "Ma", respectively.  It's hard for me to accept, after all this
discussion and effort and say Göran's finally makes it into the base
image, that I could very easily collide with Magritte unless at least
one of us renames a bunch of stuff.

How many possible two-letter prefixes are there; 26 squared is only
676 namespaces and you know they won't all be used anyway.  Not nearly
enough for a large community developing a large variety of frameworks
and applications with the general-purpose tool.

So I guess we'd could all start using larger prefixes to ensure we
could grow to a very large community with Göran's approach.  Tell you
what, I'm gonna stay slick with my two-letter prefixes but Lukas,
please rename all your Magritte classes to use a longer one, ok?

Ha ha, seriously, I don't see it necessarily as a problem *for me* as
long as the tools were *really good* at hiding and
auto-prefixing-on-save.  However, I dubious that the entire community
would be able (let alone willing) to engage in this sort of
"collaborative cooperation" when individual project work beckons.  No
one should really have to, honestly.

Sorry Göran, I guess I'm starting to waffle right back to my original
desired solution of three years ago:

    > auto class rename on importing

This could potentially be THE simplest, and most fool-proof solution
(other than Craig Latta's NAIAD, perhaps).  Make this work and we
don't seem to need anything else.  And it's a solution that is in the
dynamic, malleable spirit of Smalltalk as well.


On 9/20/07, Ramon Leon <ramon.leon at allresnet.com> wrote:
> > > Any "real" namespaces solution will eventually be rejected because
> > > it's not a small change and a vocal part of the community
> > doesn't want
> > > it, just wait, you'll see.
> >
> > And also - all people rejecting any "real" solution (although
> > I tend to argue with that choice of word) - are not entirely
> > wrong either.
> >
> > regards, Göran
>
> By *real* I mean other overly complicated hierarchtical package managing,
> code securing, auto class rename on importing, whiz-bang solutions that 99%
> of us don't really need (obviously since we don't have that now).  I just
> want the damned browser to hide the prefixes (aka manual namespaces) like it
> formats the code, a simple aesthetic preference.  Nice, simple, keeps
> Smalltalk as is, one global namespace, no imports, no ambiguity, just a
> smarter view and a change small enough, with so little object to, that it
> might actually happen within my lifetime.  As it stands, it's by far the
> most pragmatic solution on the table.
>
> Ramon Leon
> http://onsmalltalk.com
>
>
>