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From: graver@gull.cis.ufl.edu (Justin Graver)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
Subject: Re: Meta Class "inst var"?
Message-ID: <29092@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
Date: 11 Jun 91 17:20:59 GMT
References: <1991Jun11.145458.15123@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>
Sender: news@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU
Organization: UF CIS Dept.
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In article <1991Jun11.145458.15123@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> sticken@pleiades.cps.msu.edu writes:
>I am getting confused on the purpose of the meta class instance variable slot.
>(The one I am looking at when I get a class in the SystemBrowser, and click the
>"class" selection.)
>
>What is the purpose of this construct? 


All object may have private instance variables.  Classes are objects so
they may have private instance variables, too.  Using the template:

	Foo class
		instanceVariableNames: 'varA varB'

allows one to declare instance variables for class objects.  Although
subclasses will inherit these definitions, this class and each of its
subclasses will have their own private value for the instance variables.
Class variables, on the other hand, are references to a single object
which are *shared* by a class, its subclasses, and all of their instances.

Hope this helps.

	Justin Graver
	graver@ufl.edu
	University of Florida