[MUD-Dev] Re: DBMS in MU*'s

[Chris Gray]

[J C Lawrence:]

 >That all typed, I'd love to see someone argue or analyse the
 >application of interfaces (a comparitively new structure for me) to
 >their design here.

Hmmm. Interfaces in Java can only contain abstract function declarations
and constant declarations, so it seems they can only specify behaviour.
However, is there any particular reason why they can't have data members
too? That might nicely sidestep some of the duplication issues with
multiple inheritance as in C++. If an interface specifies some data
members, then any class that implements the interface must include
those class members. The difference between this and multiple
inheritance is that a given data member can satisfy the requirements
of multiple interfaces, just like an abstract function member can.
Surely the Java folks must have thought of this?

If C++ style (is that how LPC does it too?) is a 'union' style of
multiple inheritance, then what I'm suggesting here is more of an
'intersection' style.

I'm not "up" on these new-fangled object-oriented languages, so
perhaps some of you out there with more experience in this can comment
on this?

--
Chris Gray     cg at ami-cg.GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA