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structure(prog_tools) Library Description structure(prog_tools)

NAME

structure - supports C like structures comprised of lymb objects

DESCRIPTION

This class supports creation of C like structures for data encapsulation. Messages can be sent to the structures members by dereferencing them. See the example below. The structure class uses a hash_table for keeping track of a structures elements. I think Dave A. wrote this class so my understanding is a little limited (KM).

SUPERCLASS

object

INSTANCE VARIABLES

MESSAGES

field#structure_element Dereferences a structure element. All remaining messages until a semicolon is seen will be sent to the dereferenced field object.

fields=(`class',`name',`class',`name' ...) Sets the fields of the structure. See example below.

fields+(`class',`name',`class',`name' ...) Adds the fields to the structure.

fields-(`name',`name', ...) Removes the named fields from the structure.

EXAMPLE

/* create a structure with a scalar and logic field */ structure new: my_struct; my_struct fields=(`scalar',`x',`logic',`y');

/* now do some simple operations on the structure's members */ my_struct field# x = 1.5 print:value ;

my_struct field# y equal: (1.0,1.0) true: `string new: hammer_time print!;' ;

/* create another structure from the first with an extra field */ my_struct new: my_enhanced_struct fields+(`string', cool_phrase) print! ;

my_enhanced_struct field# cool_phrase = `like far out, man!';