Re: [Chicken-users] tinyclos and variable argument functions

[John Lenz]

On 04/04/05 01:15:03, felix winkelmann wrote:
> > Hi, I am trying to do something like this, which works in other
> clos-like
> > languages (like GOOPS for guile)
> >
> > (require 'tinyclos)
> > (define-method (foo (a <top>) (b <top>)) (print "two"))
> > (define-method (foo (a <top>)) (print "one"))
> > (foo 3)
> > -> prints "one"
> > (foo 1 2)
> > Error: bad argument count - received 3 but expected 2
> >
> >  If I reverse the way foo is defined, by defining the one before the
> > two,  then the (foo 3) will give a bad argument count.  I use <top>  
> in > this  example, but it is the same for other classes as well.
> >
> > Is this just a limitation of tinyclos or is it a bug in tinyclos?
>
> It is a limitation. The second definition of foo doesn't have a
> congruent  argument lists. I guess this is to allow dynamic redefinition,
> but I'd have to dig deeper into the tinyclos implementation to
> find out.
>
> > If it is  a limitation, what do you think is the best way to get around
> > it? Write  a  macro that looks similar to define-method, but creates a
> > new generic  for  each argument length and stores them all in a  
> vector?  > Then return a  function that first checks the argument length  
> and looks > up the right  generic to apply?
>
> Yes, that would be a solution. But perhaps I can fix tinyclos...

I've taken a closer look at tinyclos.scm, and I have got the simple example  
above working with the following patch to tinyclos.scm.  Note that this  
slightly changes the semantics of how generic functions work, because  
something like

(define foo (make-generic "foo"))

(add-method foo
  (make-method (list <top> <top>)
    (lambda (call-next-method . args) (print "two " args) )))

(add-method foo
  (make-method (list <top>)
    (lambda (call-next-method . args) (print "one " args) )))

(foo 3 2)
In the current code, it will print "one (3 2)", but with my changes it  
prints correctly "two (3 2)"... this only is the case if variable argument  
functions are passed to make-method, otherwise a paramater error resulted  
and now the method will be correctly executed.

I have not yet updated the method caching to work... If you turn method  
caching on,
(foo 3 2)
"two"
(foo 3)
"two"

because the method caching is not taking into account argument length.  But  
this patch is a start and shows the place where tinyclos needs to be  
changed.

John

tinyclos.diff
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