Re: records

[Jost Boekemeier <jostobfe@calvados.zrz.TU-Berlin.DE>]

Chris Bitmead <chris@tech.com.au> writes:

> In C++/Eiffel terminology, scheme `display' is, or at least appears to
> be polymorphic. 

No. In Bertrand Meyer's terminology `display´ is generic.  See page 1168
the generic SWAP procedure.
The example is written in ADA but even standard C has genericity:

  #define SWAP(x, y) {x^=y;y^=x;x^=y} /* constrained genericity */


> From the OO FAQ...
> "Parametric polymorphism,... Ad-hoc polymorphism"

I don't know which terminology the author of the "OO FAQ" uses but
when we apply the standard OO terminology then "parametric
polymorphism" is simply nonsense.

Bertrand Meyer describes in his book "Object Oriented Software
Construction" on pages 1168ff what constrained genericity,
unconstrained genericity and inheritance is and how genericity could
be emulated by using inheritance (page 1176ff).


Jost