Xref: utzoo comp.object:235 comp.lang.lisp:2266 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!oakhill!dover!hume From: hume@buckwheat.sps.mot.com (Chris Hume) Newsgroups: comp.object,comp.lang.lisp Subject: Static v. Dynamic Class Structure Message-ID: Date: 19 Oct 89 23:27:31 GMT Sender: news@dover.sps.mot.com Lines: 25 A shortcoming current Object Oriented Languages seem to have, is that they all seem to assume a single and more or less static class structure with respect to existing instances. In an Object Oriented Data Base, one might wish to take more of a "Hyper Text" approach and alter the existing class structure or add alternative "views". Then it should be possible to define methods for, and interact with, existing instances with respect to any of these dynamic frames of reference while keeping these frames of reference safe from interference by the others. In order for this to work, some mechanism would have to be devised allowing new or modified classes to identify the existing instances that belong to these classes. This would make use of class structure more closely resemble the way we usually build conceptual structure. We do not simply track subsequent instances after generating new concepts. We often map new conceptual structure onto previous experience. Dynamic Classes would be especially valuable in a Data Bases where there is large investment in acquisition (or generation) of the data. Chris -- Phone: (602) 994-6835 EMail: hume@sps.mot.com