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From: jimad@microsoft.UUCP (Jim ADCOCK)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Naming Conventions
Message-ID: <60362@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 8 Jan 91 22:54:05 GMT
References: <60352@microsoft.UUCP>
Reply-To: jimad@microsoft.UUCP (Jim ADCOCK)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 132

A second, harder problem in naming conventions is how to choose the syntax
and names to be used in protocols.  Consider the "simple" problem of 
"setting" or "getting" a subpart of an object.  Below I list a few of
the design choices I have seen to implement these actions:


Set part of a thing to something:

thing.part = something;
thing.part() = something;
thing->part = something;
thing->part() = something;
thing.setPart(something);
thing->setPart(something);
thing.SetPart(something);
thing->SetPart(something);
thing.set_part(something);
thing->set_part(something);
thing.part.set(something);
thing->part.set(something)
thing->part->set(something);
thing.part = *something;
thing.part() = *something;
thing->part = *something;
thing->part() = *something;
thing.setPart(*something);
thing->setPart(*something);
thing.SetPart(*something);
thing->SetPart(*something);
thing.set_part(*something);
thing->set_part(*something);
thing.part.set(*something);
thing->part.set(*something)
thing->part->set(*something);
thing.part = &something;
thing.part() = &something;
thing->part = &something;
thing->part() = &something;
thing.setPart(&something);
thing->setPart(&something);
thing.SetPart(&something);
thing->SetPart(&something);
thing.set_part(&something);
thing->set_part(&something);
thing.part.set(&something);
thing->part.set(&something)
thing->part->set(&something);
thing.part(something);
thing.part(&something);
thing.part(*something);
thing->part(something);
thing->part(&something);
thing->part(*something);
something = thing->QueryPart();
something = thing->PartQuery();


Get part of a thing:

something = thing.part;
something = thing.part();
something = thing->part;
something = thing->part();
something = thing.getPart();
something = thing->getPart();
something = thing.GetPart();
something = thing->GetPart();
something = thing.get_part();
something = thing->get_part();
something = thing.part.get();
something - thing->part.get()
something = thing->part->get();
something = *thing.part;
something = *thing.part();
something = *thing->part;
something = *thing->part();
something = *thing.getPart();
something = *thing->getPart();
something = *thing.GetPart();
something = *thing->GetPart();
something = *thing.get_part();
something = *thing->get_part();
something = *thing.part.get();
something = *thing->part.get()
something = *thing->part->get();
something = &thing.part;
something = &thing.part();
something = &thing->part;
something = &thing->part();
something = &thing.getPart();
something = &thing->getPart();
something = &thing.GetPart();
something = &thing->GetPart();
something = &thing.get_part();
something = &thing->get_part();
something = &thing.part.get();
something = &thing->part.get()
something = &thing->part->get();
something = thing.part();
something = &thing.part();
something = *thing.part();
something = thing->part();
something = &thing->part();
something = *thing->part();
thing.getPart(something);
thing->getPart(something);
thing.getPart(&something);
thing->getPart(&something);
thing.getPart(*something);
thing->getPart(*something);

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A humble partial suggestion to help restrict the variety of syntax choices 
possible in implementing standard library protocols:

_Please_ don't use the get, set, nor let "noise words."

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PS:

my personal favorites [for what _that's_ worth] are:

// to "set" a part

thing.part(something);

// to "get" a part

something = thing.part();