Bill Guindon
5/8/2005 3:34:00 PM
On 5/8/05, Yukihiro Matsumoto <matz@ruby-lang.org> wrote:
> In message "Re: [ETYMOLOGY] - Sterile Classes / Sterile Meta Classes"
> on Sun, 8 May 2005 06:14:28 +0900, Ilias Lazaridis <ilias@lazaridis.com> writes:
>
> |Another suggestion for the "Ruby Singleton Classes" or "Exclusive Classes":
> |
> |Sterile Classes
>
> Sterile means "Not producing or incapable of producing offspring",
> right? The word suggest the (class-like) object cannot create its
> instances. But this is not the only class-like object in Ruby that
> can not (or should not) create its instances, for example, modules in
> Ruby are class-like objects which are not capable to instantiate.
> Abstract classes as well are classes not supposed to create their
> direct instances.
>
> Being hidden from observable object model is not important neither.
> In the new model, it would not be hidden any more, and perhaps, there
> will be a method to retrieve "singleton class" from an object. I hope
> the method name would not be Object#singleton_class.
>
> I'd like to emphasize the "per-object" attribute of the object.
> Ideally, the term should be "xxxx class" where
>
> * xxxx describe the class is per-object.
> * xxxx is an adjective, or a noun that can be used like adjective.
> * we can call methods now we call "singleton methods" as xxxx
> methods for consistency.
unique, lone, solo, distinct, specific, custom, customized, changed,
expanded, crafted, decorated, tailored, adapted, adjusted,
transformed, modified.
any of these come close?
> In this standard, "singleton" is the best I can think of, unless name
> conflict. Sad coincidence.
>
> matz.
>
>
--
Bill Guindon (aka aGorilla)