Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!cmcl2!lanl!beta!drich From: drich@klaatu.lanl.gov (David O. Rich) Newsgroups: comp.object Subject: Re: Which OOPL is the best? Message-ID: Date: 26 Mar 91 16:00:57 GMT References: <1991Mar25.045952.813@agate.berkeley.edu> Sender: news@lanl.gov Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Lines: 34 In-reply-to: jls@rutabaga.Rational.COM's message of 26 Mar 91 03:09:05 GMT In article jls@rutabaga.Rational.COM (Jim Showalter) writes: >> My advice? Stick with C++. Much as it makes me cringe from an >> aesthetic standpoint, I believe C++ will be the dominant OO >> language for the next decade. Definite job security. Up until recently I would not have recommended C++ as the OOPL of choice. As I learn more and more about C++ -- what it is and what it is all about -- I must reconsider. It seems to me that C++ is all about flexibility, e.g., being able to express an OO solution exploiting various OO styles. This is quite an attractive feature especially for research-oriented groups still grappling with OO methods appropriate for their particular domain (note that I'm using the term "method" very loosely here). And with the whispers of exceptions and templates (coming to a compiler near you) I'm just about ready to give in to the irresistible pull. But there is still this concern I have about all this power and flexibility (uh oh, the double-edged sword analogy...I knew it!;-). Just how can I enforce a particular OO method once I've decided what is right for me? For example, suppose I want to maximize reusability within a particular domain. Just how do I keep satellite projects in line and enfore reusability standards across the domain? (We all know how easy it is to let deadlines drive software quality, etc.) With these kinds of questions in mind, I am very much interested in work on C++ systems that enforce a particular OO method. The Demeter system falls in to this category. What I'd like to see is a tailorable system that will let you identify stress points in your OO method and then enforce them (CASE anyone?). -- David Rich | Military Systems Analysis Group Email: dor@lanl.gov | Mail Stop F602 Phone: (505) 665-0726 | Los Alamos National Laboratory FAX : (505) 665-2017 | Los Alamos, NM 87545