Pragmas has given me a powerful hook into the Compiler/Parser complex. I 
may be misusing them, but my experiment worked and gave me the insights 
I needed into the relationships between static and dynamic variables.

A small and simple extension to the Parser made it generate in-line code 
for special pragmas. (Thanks to Klaus for helping me with this). An 
example method:

    *animateStars *
        " Add and remove stars randomly, trying to keep total number of
    stars = 'numberOfStars' "
        <Role: /#*Collab*> /<Role: /#*StarsCount*>/
        [maestro currentState == #STARS] whileTrue:
            /[*Collab */refresh.
            /*StarsCount */>= maxNumberOfStars ifTrue: [self deleteStar].
            /*StarsCount */<= maxNumberOfStars ifTrue: [self placeStar]]

The Parser extends role variable names such as /*StarsCount */into

    self playerForRole: /#*StarsCount*/

which looks up the binding for /#*StarsCount */in a dynamic name space. 
(The name space object lives on the stack)

This was just a step in a larger experiment; more later.
--Trygve

On 19.03.2008 14:57, itsme213 wrote:
> "Ramon Leon" <ramon.leon at allresnet.com> wrote in message
>
>   
>> Pragmas are static and aren't nearly as flexible as
>> Magritte descriptors, which are real objects and don't face the 
>> limitations
>> of pragmas.
>>     
>
> Perhaps it need not be either-or? e.g. The pragma could be evaluated to 
> record the "static" descriptions on the classes as any kind of real objects, 
> including Magritte-like Descriptions:
>
> Foo>>x
>   <setUpMeta: #bar>
>
> PragmaInterpreter>>setUpMeta: aSymbol for: aClass
>   aClass recordMeta: aSymbol
>
>
> And there could still be instance-level access from objects, which by 
> default just uses the "static" descriptions that PragmaInterpreter recorded 
> on the classes, but has a hook for dynamic (instance-specific) behavior:
>
> Object>>getMeta: aSymbol
>  (self class getMeta: aSymbol)
>     overridenBy: (self dynamicGetMeta: aSymbol)
>
> Just a thought.
>
> - Sophie
>
>
>
>
>
>   

-- 

Trygve Reenskaug       mailto: trygver at ifi.uio.no

Morgedalsvn. 5A         http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~trygver

N-0378 Oslo               Tel: (+47) 22 49 57 27

Norway

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