diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/class.n')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/class.n | 34 |
1 files changed, 22 insertions, 12 deletions
diff --git a/doc/class.n b/doc/class.n index 02dfc46..198ae41 100644 --- a/doc/class.n +++ b/doc/class.n @@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ '\" See the file "license.terms" for information on usage and redistribution '\" of this file, and for a DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES. '\" -'\" RCS: @(#) $Id: class.n,v 1.1 2008/05/31 11:42:06 dkf Exp $ -'\" -.so man.macros .TH class n 0.1 TclOO "TclOO Commands" +.so man.macros .BS '\" Note: do not modify the .SH NAME line immediately below! .SH NAME @@ -24,16 +22,23 @@ package require TclOO \(-> \fBoo::class\fR .fi .BE - .SH DESCRIPTION +.PP +Classes are objects that can manufacture other objects according to a pattern +stored in the factory object (the class). An instance of the class is created +by calling one of the class's factory methods, typically either \fBcreate\fR +if an explicit name is being given, or \fBnew\fR if an arbitrary unique name +is to be automatically selected. +.PP The \fBoo::class\fR class is the class of all classes; every class is an instance of this class, which is consequently an instance of itself. This class is a subclass of \fBoo::object\fR, so every class is also an object. -Additional metaclasses (i.e. classes of classes) can be defined if necessary +Additional metaclasses (i.e., classes of classes) can be defined if necessary by subclassing \fBoo::class\fR. Note that the \fBoo::class\fR object hides the \fBnew\fR method on itself, so new classes should always be made using the \fBcreate\fR method. .SS CONSTRUCTOR +.PP The constructor of the \fBoo::class\fR class takes an optional argument which, if present, is sent to the \fBoo::define\fR command (along with the name of the newly-created class) to allow the class to be conveniently configured at @@ -59,15 +64,19 @@ the result of this method call. This creates a new instance of the class \fIcls\fR with a new unique name, passing the arguments, \fIarg ...\fR, to the constructor, and (if that returns a successful result) returning the fully qualified name of the created object -(the result of the constructor is ignored). If the constructor fails (i.e. +(the result of the constructor is ignored). If the constructor fails (i.e., returns a non-OK result) then the object is destroyed and the error message is -the result of this method call. Note that this method is not exported by the -\fBoo::class\fR object itself, so classes should not be created using this -method. +the result of this method call. +.RS +.PP +Note that this method is not exported by the \fBoo::class\fR object itself, so +classes should not be created using this method. +.RE .SS "NON-EXPORTED METHODS" +.PP The \fBoo::class\fR class supports the following non-exported methods: .TP -\fIobj \fBcreateWithNamespace\fI name nsName\fR ?\fIarg ...\fR? +\fIcls \fBcreateWithNamespace\fI name nsName\fR ?\fIarg ...\fR? . This creates a new instance of the class \fIcls\fR called \fIname\fR (which is resolved within the calling context's namespace if not fully qualified), @@ -76,12 +85,14 @@ a successful result) returning the fully qualified name of the created object (the result of the constructor is ignored). The name of the instance's internal namespace will be \fInsName\fR unless that namespace already exists (when an arbitrary name will be chosen instead). If the constructor fails -(i.e. returns a non-OK result) then the object is destroyed and the error +(i.e., returns a non-OK result) then the object is destroyed and the error message is the result of this method call. .SH EXAMPLES +.PP This example defines a simple class hierarchy and creates a new instance of it. It then invokes a method of the object before destroying the hierarchy and showing that the destruction is transitive. +.PP .CS \fBoo::class create\fR fruit { method eat {} { @@ -119,7 +130,6 @@ $b eat \fI\(-> error "unknown command"\fR oo::define(n), oo::object(n) .SH KEYWORDS class, metaclass, object - .\" Local variables: .\" mode: nroff .\" fill-column: 78 |