[ANSI-Smalltalk] A list of interesting methods, ifNotNil:

[cstb]

At 01:08 AM 3/20/2008, you wrote:
>John Dougan wrote:
>>Ralph Johnson wrote:
>>>>Object>>ifNil:
>>>> Object>>ifNil:ifNotNil:
>>>> Object>>ifNotNil:
>>>> Object>>ifNotNil:ifNil:
>>>  
>>There actually is a minor controversy here as the VisualWorks version of these has the block for the ifNotNil: clauses take an optional argument.


I have long preferred

        isNil,
        notNil,
        and nonNil

so I'd rather have

        isNil: a0block
        notNil: a0block
        nonNil: a1block

and some combinations, e.g.

        isNil: is0block notNil: not0block
        isNil: is0block nonNil: non1block
        ...

I don't expect to hear much agreeement,
just tossing it in for consideration.

The pattern generalizes to also cover
null, empty, blank, and value,
number, numeric, and integer,
zero, one, and infinity, 
boolean, character, string, and symbol,
singular, element and collection.

All of which seem highly generic,
and reasonably useful, to me.

The optional arg thing is ok, and
could be extended to all the above forms,
but isn't as intention-revealing.



-Jim