A literal object consists of a list of slots & a list of expressions with some parentheses & verticle bars.

(| slot1. slotn | expr1. exprn )

• No initializer means: slot <- nil
• Slot's set with = are read-only.
  • Sending the object a slotName message will get the slot's value.
• Slot's set with <- are read/write.
  • Sending the object a slotName message will get the slot's value.
  • Sending the object a slotName: message will set the slot's value.
• If the slot's name ends with an asterisk, it is a parent slot. (The asterisk isn't used in the slot's messages.)
• Methods are read-only slots containing objects with code.
• Square brackets are used in place of parentheses to create blocks/closures.

e.g.

(| readOnlySlot = 10. writableSlot <- 20. |)
(| readOnlyParent* = x. writableParent* <- y |)
(| square = (| :arg | arg * arg ) |)
[| :arg | arg * arg ]

• (...unary, binary, & keyword messages...)

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• Methods are read-only! (EcmaScript makes them read/write?)
• Slot look-up is depth first?
• Slot look-up handles cyclic inheritence graphs!

last updated 2 years ago #