Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!intercon!news
From: amanda@mermaid.intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Multiple Inheritance -- Is It A Luxury?
Message-ID: <2691908E.738C@intercon.com>
Date: 4 Jul 90 06:45:34 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> <42616@apple.Apple.COM>
Sender: usenet@intercon.com (USENET The Magnificent)
Reply-To: amanda@mermaid.intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Herndon, VA
Lines: 20

In article <42616@apple.Apple.COM>, lins@Apple.COM (Chuck Lins) writes:
> 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.

There are times when multiple inheritance can be used to produce very elegant
code.  However, object-oriented programming doesn't enforce disciplined
programming any more than anything else.  Used properly, multiple inheritance
can be very useful in decomposing problems over orthgonal axes (for example,
take a look at the "mixin" concept in several Lisp object platforms).  Used
improperly, you can end up with the "it's a floor wax AND a dessert topping"
effect...

It all depends on the programmer.
--
Amanda Walker
InterCon Systems Corporation
--
"I can only assume this is not the first-class compartment."
	--Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy