import/include philosophical Was: Problem with my first app

[Pascal Bourguignon]

> Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2001 16:25:40 +0100
> From: Richard Frith-Macdonald <richard@brainstorm.co.uk>
[...] 
> > - ObjC headers should be #imported, not #included
> 
> Actually the second point is a matter of taste ...
> use of #import is in fact deprecated by the compiler.
> The rationale I read for it being deprecated is that the
> use of protective #ifndef and #defines in the headers is
> preferred because it makes the way the header is meant to
> be used explicit.

That, if you want to keep the low-level mindset of the C preprocessors
and C compilers 30 years old.

Remember that the C preprocessor exists only to paliate the defects of
the C language. 

Any high-level language can do without it because it has the semantics
needed to deal with the stuff dealt with by the C preprocessor. Have a
look at Modula-2, Modula-3, ADA, etc.


Since  Objective-C wanted to  add a  higher level  layer over  C, it's
natural that it introduces a  higher level way to import the interface
of a  module. 

When  100%  of  the  "headers"  contains  that  #ifndef/#define,  it's
revealing that  the semantics of  #include are not adapted  to nowaday
usage.

Perhaps, it's unfortunate that  Objective-C still called the interface
files ".h".  It would have  been better if  they were called  ".mi" or
anything different than ".h". After all, they're not "headers" they're
"interfaces", if you can see the difference.

Similar problem exists with C++.   Personally, I name my C++ interface
files with ".hh" (C++ class files  being named ".cc").  While a C++ or
Objective-C source  can import  a C  "header", no C  source can  use a
Objective-C  or C++ interface,  therefore I  think that  the different
extension for  interfaces is  justified. Too bad  that cc  on NeXTSTEP
were actually an Objective-C compiler, not a C compiler.

In my opinion, what should be deprecated is not #import, but #include.

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