


stooop(n)  Simple Tcl Only Object Oriented Programming  stooop(n)


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NAME
       stooop - Object oriented extension.

SYNOPSIS
       package require Tcl  8.3

       package require stooop  ?4.4.1?

       ::stooop::class name body

       ::stooop::new class ?arg arg ...?

       ::stooop::delete object ?object ...?

       ::stooop::virtual proc name {this ?arg arg ...?} ?body?

       ::stooop::classof object

       ::stooop::new object

       ::stooop::printObjects ?pattern?

       ::stooop::record

       ::stooop::report ?pattern?

_________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION
       This package provides commands to extend Tcl in an object oriented man-
       ner, using a familiar C++ like syntax and behaviour. Stooop only intro-
       duces  a  few  new  commands:  class, new, delete, virtual and classof.
       Along with a few coding conventions, that is basically all you need  to
       know to use stooop. Stooop is meant to be as simple to use as possible.

       This manual is very succinct and is to be used as a quick reminder  for
       the  programmer, who should have read the thorough stooop_man.html HTML
       documentation at this point.

       ::stooop::class name body
              This command creates a class. The body, similar in contents to a
              Tcl  namespace (which a class actually also is), contains member
              procedure definitions. Member procedures  can  also  be  defined
              outside the class body, by prefixing their name with class::, as
              you would proceed with namespace procedures.

              proc class {this ?arg arg ...?} ?base {?arg arg ...?} ...? body
                     This is the constructor procedure for the  class.  It  is
                     invoked  following a new invocation on the class. It must
                     have the same name as the  class  and  a  first  argument
                     named  this.  Any  number of base classes specifications,
                     including arguments to be passed  to  their  constructor,



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stooop(n)  Simple Tcl Only Object Oriented Programming  stooop(n)


                     are allowed before the actual body of the procedure.

              proc ~class {this} body
                     This  is  the  destructor  procedure for the class. It is
                     invoked following a delete invocation. Its name  must  be
                     the concatenation of a single ~ character followed by the
                     class name (as in C++). It must have  a  single  argument
                     named this.

              proc name {this ?arg arg ...?} body
                     This  is  a  member  procedure of the class, as its first
                     argument is named this. It allows a simple access of mem-
                     ber  data  for  the  object referenced by this inside the
                     procedure. For example:

                        set ($this,data) 0


              proc name {?arg arg ...?} body
                     This is a static (as in  C++)  member  procedure  of  the
                     class,  as  its  first argument is not named this. Static
                     (global) class data can be accessed as in:

                        set (data) 0


              proc class {this copy} body
                     This is the optional copy procedure  for  the  class.  It
                     must  have the same name as the class and exactly 2 argu-
                     ments named this and copy. It is invoked following a  new
                     invocation on an existing object of the class.

       ::stooop::new class ?arg arg ...?
              This  command is used to create an object. The first argument is
              the class name and is followed by the arguments  needed  by  the
              corresponding  class  constructor.  A  unique identifier for the
              object just created is returned.

       ::stooop::delete object ?object ...?
              This command is used to delete one or several objects. It  takes
              one or more object identifiers as argument(s).

       ::stooop::virtual proc name {this ?arg arg ...?} ?body?
              The  virtual  specifier  may  be  used  on  member procedures to
              achieve dynamic binding. A procedure in a base class can then be
              redefined  (overloaded)  in  the  derived class(es). If the base
              class procedure is invoked on an  object,  it  is  actually  the
              derived  class  procedure which is invoked, if it exists. If the
              base class procedure has no body, then it is considered to be  a
              pure  virtual and the derived class procedure is always invoked.

       ::stooop::classof object
              This command returns the class of the existing object passed  as
              single parameter.



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stooop(n)  Simple Tcl Only Object Oriented Programming  stooop(n)


       ::stooop::new object
              This  command is used to create an object by copying an existing
              object. The copy  constructor  of  the  corresponding  class  is
              invoked  if  it  exists,  otherwise  a simple copy of the copied
              object data members is performed.


DEBUGGING
       Environment variables

              STOOOPCHECKDATA
                     Setting this variable to any true value will cause stooop
                     to check for invalid member or class data access.

              STOOOPCHECKPROCEDURES
                     Setting this variable to any true value will cause stooop
                     to check for invalid member procedure arguments and  pure
                     interface classes instanciation.

              STOOOPCHECKALL
                     Setting this variable to any true value will cause stooop
                     to activate both procedure and data member checking.

              STOOOPCHECKOBJECTS
                     Setting this variable to any true value will cause stooop
                     to  activate object checking. The following stooop names-
                     pace procedures  then  become  available  for  debugging:
                     printObjects, record and report.

              STOOOPTRACEPROCEDURES
                     Setting  this  environment  variable  to  either  stdout,
                     stderr or a file name, activates procedure  tracing.  The
                     stooop  library will then output to the specified channel
                     1 line of informational text for  each  member  procedure
                     invocation.

              STOOOPTRACEPROCEDURESFORMAT
                     Defines  the  trace procedures output format. Defaults to
                     "class: %C, procedure: %p, object: %O, arguments: %a".

              STOOOPTRACEDATA
                     Setting  this  environment  variable  to  either  stdout,
                     stderr or a file name, activates data tracing. The stooop
                     library will then output to the specified channel 1  line
                     of informational text for each member data access.

              STOOOPTRACEDATAFORMAT
                     Defines the trace data output format. Defaults to "class:
                     %C, procedure: %p, array: %A,  object:  %O,  member:  %m,
                     operation: %o, value: %v".

              STOOOPTRACEDATAOPERATIONS
                     When tracing data output, by default, all read, write and
                     unsetting accesses are reported, but  the  user  can  set



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stooop(n)  Simple Tcl Only Object Oriented Programming  stooop(n)


                     this variable to any combination of the letters r, w, and
                     u for more specific tracing (please refer  to  the  trace
                     Tcl manual page for more information).

              STOOOPTRACEALL
                     Setting  this  environment  variable  to  either  stdout,
                     stderr or a file name, enables both  procedure  and  data
                     tracing.

       ::stooop::printObjects ?pattern?
              Prints  an  ordered list of existing objects, in creation order,
              oldest first. Each output line contains the class  name,  object
              identifier and the procedure within which the creation occurred.
              The optional pattern argument (as in the Tcl string  match  com-
              mand) can be used to limit the output to matching class names.

       ::stooop::record
              When  invoked,  a  snapshot  of  all  existing stooop objects is
              taken. Reporting can then be used at a later time to  see  which
              objects were created or deleted in the interval.

       ::stooop::report ?pattern?
              Prints    the    created   and   deleted   objects   since   the
              ::stooop::record procedure was invoked  last.  If  present,  the
              pattern argument limits the output to matching class names.


EXAMPLES
       Please see the full HTML documentation in stooop_man.html.

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK
       This  document,  and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain
       bugs and other problems.  Please report such in the category stooop  of
       the          Tcllib         SF         Trackers         [http://source-
       forge.net/tracker/?group_id=12883].  Please also report any  ideas  for
       enhancements you may have for either package and/or documentation.

KEYWORDS
       C++, class, object, object oriented

CATEGORY
       Programming tools















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