[KCP] SystemDictionary cleaning: Comments and design

Martin Wirblat sql.mawi at t-link.de
Tue Jun 10 09:17:54 UTC 2003


>Stephane Ducasse <ducasse at iam.unibe.ch> wrote:
>
>> > I would like to continue cleaning systemDictionary.
>> > I would like to move away from SystemDictionary
>> >
>> > - 'memory space' methods
>> > 	- I was thinking to create a MemorySpace class
>> > - vm related information (listModule, vmParamAt...)
>> > 	- into VMSupport
>> >
>> > - 'snapshot and quit' + 'image, changes name' + condense changes -
>> > > 	- into Image
>>
>I think a simpler move might be to have a SystemInfo class to hold all
>the vm/memory/platform related info. Factoring is good but it is
>possible to go too far.

Exactly, there must be a SINGLE point where to start a search for 
system-related things, otherwise 95% of all users will only find 50% 
of them, and that after wasting much time. 

Remember, you don't know beforehand what exactly you are searching for.
This means you must be able to BROWSE system-related things, and you 
can't browse something which is cluttered all over the image. 

System-related things can be objects and methods.

Even with todays single class SystemDictionary the situation is far 
from being optimal: on the mail list are too many posts like: you must 
change pref x to y or you must send message x to y before you have a
system that can do z. 

regards
Martin



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