Abstract

This paper presents a method with which we can generate update messagesfor use with Smalltalk'sdependency mechanism. The basic idea is that any messages which cause an object to change are forwarded to the object's dependants. The method is perfectly general and future-proofs objects against changes in their dependants. Keywords: Dependencies, Object-Oriented Programming, Smalltalk, Update Messages 1 Introduction Smalltalk [1] provides a number of features that help us structure our programs. One of the most interesting of these features is the dependency mechanism, which invites us to structure our programs in terms of objects that depend on one another's state. Using these dependencies, we can write programs in which objects react to the state changes of other objects. This kind of program structure is useful in a variety of contexts, but it is especially useful in programs that have a graphical user interface. Smalltalk's own user interface, with its model-view-controller (MVC) [...

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