Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!lins From: lins@Apple.COM (Chuck Lins) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer Subject: Re: Multiple Inheritance -- Is It A Luxury? Summary: Multiple Inheritance Considered Harmful Message-ID: <42616@apple.Apple.COM> Date: 3 Jul 90 20:42:09 GMT References: <15132@reed.UUCP> <268BA8DC.4CD4@intercon.com> <8937@goofy.Apple.COM> <268C032E.5137@intercon.com> <1990Jul2.181147.1672@efi.com> <8967@goofy.Apple.COM> Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA Lines: 29 In article <8967@goofy.Apple.COM> casseres@apple.com (David Casseres) writes: [ a lot of commentary deleted; perhaps relevant ] >Brian Bechtel sums it up very well in saying >"Multiple inheritance is the GOTO of the 1990's." I couldn't agree more. Eventually some big name CS prof will probably write an article called "Multiple Inheritance Considered Harmful". There'll be a big, huge, mundo flame war over it. If people go ga-ga over MI the way they have so far with objects, we'll end up with "spagetti-objects" even worse than the spagetti code produced using GOTO. (An even worse construct was COBOL's ALTER verb but we won't get into that! :) Don't get me wrong, I think the object- oriented paradigm has a lot to offer and is one of the more valuable techniques in the programmer's arsenal to come around in years. But I was a neophyte programmer during the 'structured programming revolution'. And all the claims of 'object-this' and 'object-that' sound very similar to the 'structured-this' and 'structured-that' of the 1970's. Lots of hype and claims that can't be substantiated. So I know I'd love to see any empirical evidence that shows MI reduces not only new development costs but also the cost of maintenance. Please post your references to those journal articles today 'cause I'd love to be enlightened. -- Chuck Lins | "Is this the kind of work you'd like to do?" Apple Computer, Inc. | -- Front 242 20525 Mariani Avenue | Internet: lins@apple.com Mail Stop 37-BD | AppleLink: LINS@applelink.apple.com Cupertino, CA 95014 | "Self-proclaimed Object Oberon Evangelist" The intersection of Apple's ideas and my ideas yields the empty set.