Re: c.d.theory glossary -- definition of "class"

"Dawn M. Wolthuis" <dwolt_at_tincat-group.com> wrote in message

> I really don't like the "A class is what ..." definition, especially since
> folks like Date keep asking why the OO folks are so confused on what a class
> is -- is it a variable, for example?

Most times it is a type.

> I would like to make it clear that it
> is metadata.

It is wrong because a class is many things: source code, type, metadata, entity, implementation of a type, etc, etc.   

> "A class is the template we use to define objects."

Very imprecise.

This is not a serious definition. What a template is? What "use" means here? What is an object? What about when class means type or entity or ...?

> This leaves the meatier definition to "objects" but at least it states more
> clearly what a class is.

An object is an instance of a class, and now we have a circular definition :)

> Additionally, what are the biggest issues with identifying a class as a type
> specification?

That class is used with many other meanings. It would be better to avoid this horribly overloaded term.

Regards
  Alfredo Received on Wed Jun 23 2004 - 10:28:28 CDT