On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 4:09 PM, Levente Uzonyi <leves at caesar.elte.hu>
wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Jul 2017, marcel.taeumel wrote:
>
> Hi, there.
>>
>> Why are there guards to prevent forward-becoming to immediates (chars,
>> ints)
>> but not to symbols?
>>
>
> The former is technically impossible due to different object
> representations, the latter is possible and not restricted at all. For
> example, true and false are not immediate objects, you can use #become*: on
> them to blow your image up.
> So, there's no restriction at all if it's technically possible to use
> #become*:.
> The responsibility model is the simplest here: use at your own risk.
> Since this comes up every once in a while, I suggest a comment be added to
> those methods stating the responsibility model explicitly.
>

​+1

*Especially* a warning that becomeForward: does modify the target's hash.
​

> I don't know how the VM handles immutability in this case, but it's
> possible that it wouldn't let #become*: affect immutable objects.


​I think that would be fine, you should​ be able to become an immutable
object and vice versa.


> On the other hand, I'm sure it would let you change fields of immutable
> objects via #become*:, but that's not an issue in your case.


​This is debatable ...​ I would rather have the VM raise an error when
trying to become a field of an immutable object. Immutable should mean
immutable, no?

​- Bert -​



>
>
> Levente
>
>
>
>> This will break your image: "Object new becomeForward: #normal"
>>
>> ... because Cursor class MNU #normal ... :-) Either this is a bug or
>> forward-becoming to symbols is not intended at all.
>>
>> Best,
>> Marcel
>>
>>
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