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Home -> Community -> Usenet -> comp.databases.theory -> Re: c.d.theory glossary -- definition of "class"
"mAsterdam" <mAsterdam_at_vrijdag.org> wrote in message
news:40d8bf62$0$563$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl...
> Dawn M. Wolthuis wrote:
> > mAsterdam wrote:
> >>Glossary 0.0.4:
> <snip>
> >>[Class]
> >>A class is what provides a name and a place for
> >>the abstract behavior of a set of objects
> >>said to belong to the class. (Larry Wall, Apocalypse 12)
> >>
> >>note:
> >>Other definitons welcome, this goes for the rest as well,
> >>of course.
> >>
> >>Some use 'class' as having exposed data.
> >>Please be explicit about this if you do so.
[Object] - The embodiment in software of an automaton. The software brick.
- an identity (sometime independent of location) - instead of an address - a variable state (sometime independent of location) - instead of a (memory) location - methods (behavior) (sometime independent of location) - instead ofmonolithic code.
[Class] - Divide et Impera !
The size, shape and matter of the bricks. The physics, the chemistry, ...,
the philosophy, the society.
Dictate the rules that objects (in the class) must obey.
> > I would like to make it clear that it is metadata.
> Why?
> > I don't just mean that the source code for the class is
> > metadata -- the class is metadata.
> metadata: data about data.
> A class is about behavior. Is it about data?
> An object, instance of the class, may have
> some data, but to get that data we'll have
> to ask it (by means of what the class told
> us about how to ask objects of this class questions)
> to give us that (and maybe other) data.
Well, code is data - remember ? :-)
A class is about computer software components. :-)
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