Re: Event based language, does it exist?

bonzini@gnu.org (\"Carlo, Paolo & Germana\")
8 Sep 2000 02:08:47 -0400

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From: bonzini@gnu.org (\"Carlo, Paolo & Germana\")
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: 8 Sep 2000 02:08:47 -0400
Organization: Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
References: 00-08-132
Keywords: design

> I'm trying to find a language which is based solely on events, but I
> do not know if it exists.


Smalltalk is a possibility. It is message-based, which is mostly the
same as event-based.


The fact is, Smalltalk has no predefined interfaces, so for example
anything can be put into a SortedCollection as long as it knows how to
answer the `<=' message. This is still not the same as an event, but
it is isomorphic to `everything can be told when the user presses a
button as long as it knows how to answer the `clicked' message'.


Smalltalk has dynamic message binding, like Objective-C:


      listener perform: eventName with: aWindow


sends the message identified by the `eventName' variable to `listener'
(which is in Smalltalk parlance a Symbol) passing it `aWindow' as a
parameter. If eventName was >licked: (Symbol have a leading hash) it
would be the same as


        listener clicked: aWindow


but it is customizable at run-time.


Does this fit your requirements?


Paolo Bonzini


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