Re: Templated containers of inherited objects

From:

"=?iso-8859-1?q?Kirit_S=E6lensminde?=" <kirit.saelensminde@gmail.com>

Newsgroups:

comp.lang.c++

Date:

19 Feb 2007 00:44:52 -0800

Message-ID:

<1171874692.373367.62390@s48g2000cws.googlegroups.com>

On Feb 18, 7:03 pm, rpbg...@yahoo.com (Roland Pibinger) wrote:

On 17 Feb 2007 22:53:14 -0800, "=?iso-8859-1?q?Kirit_S=E6lensminde?="

<kirit.saelensmi...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Feb 18, 2:12 am, rpbg...@yahoo.com (Roland Pibinger) wrote:

A pointer is not a value, otherwise one could just use an int instead.
A pointer in C/C++ has the combined meaning of reference and address.

What is your definition of 'value' that makes you say that a pointer
isn't a value? After all a pointer *is* just an integer, but one which
is interpreted in a specific way (old x86 style far pointers
notwithstanding), but that is the same as many other value types too.

A pointer can be dereferenced, i.e. pointers have a specific
dereference operator.

I still don't see how that stops it from being a value. Are you saying
that pointers don't follow value semantics because they can also be de-
referenced? In which case why is that relevant? Or are you saying they
do follow value semantics despite not being values?

In general, STL is the attempt introduce the functional paradigm into
the C++ language as counterpart to the object-oriented paradigm. This
attempt has produced much misunderstanding and confusion.

I've come across this assertion a couple of times. To me the STL is a
fine bit of OO programming, but I can see where the functional view
comes into it too.

OO is characterized by inherited and polymorphic objects. STL neither
uses nor supports these.

OO is characterised by encapsulated objects that have internal state,
are responsible for their own behaviour and communicate through
message passing. The STL does follow this. This newer definition of OO
centred around inheritance is a direct result of Java and to a lesser
extent C++, but it has no historic basis.

I've explained this in more detail no my web site:
http://www.kirit.com/The%20three%20pillars%20of%20Object%20Orientation

K