Re: Writing about probeDisplays: what do you think?

[Ken Cline]

On Thu, 27 May 1999, glen e. p. ropella wrote:

> >   probeMap = [CustomProbeMap create: aZone forClass: [self class]
> >                              withIdentifiers: "numbugs",
> >                              "diffuseConstant", "worldXSize",
> >                              "worldYSize","minIdealTemp",
> >                               "maxIdealTemp","minOutputHeat",
> >                             "maxOutputHeat", "evaporationRate", 
> >                             "toggleRandomizedOrder" 
> >                             "randomMoveProbability",":",
> >                              "addHeatbug:", NULL];
> >
> 
> Right.
> 
> >But there's no way to add setHideResult: 1 here, so one price of the
> >Custom Probe Map is lack of detail?
> 
> Right again.  The two limitations to the shortcut are that you 
> can't design cross-class probeMaps and you can't set hideResult.
> It assumes you want to see the results.  A defaultHideResult
> would be a nice feature.  Or a message one could send to the
> probeLibrary (or somewhere) telling it how to set the hideResults.

(Being too lazy to look at the code myself...)
Couldn't you just do leave off the "addHeatbug:' and add it
after creating the CustomProbeMap, i.e.

  id <Probe> anotherProbe = NULL;
  anotherProbe = [ probeLibrary getProbeForMessage: "addHeatbug:"
                                           inClass: [self class] ];
  [ anotherProbe setHideResult: 1 ];

  probeMap = [CustomProbeMap create: aZone forClass: [self class]
                    withIdentifiers: "numbugs", ...

  [probeMap addProbe: anotherProbe ]

Am I forgetting something?


> Anyway, I assume that, since it's not in any of the apps and few
> people know about it, that it's not a useful feature.

I found it quite useful; not to mention a good place to see
how to write variable argument methods. Thanks! =:-)


> Since we've started using regular macros to condense code,
> maybe this should be a macro instead of a convenience
> method.

Well, that opens up a (perhaps) lengthy discussion about the
trade-offs of using macros versus functions.  In particular,
I been wondering if macro use (in Swarm) makes integrating
with other languages (e.g. Java) more difficult?  (Don't get
me wrong, I love macros.  I wish Java had them.  But I have
to admit that I've been guilty of writing a macro when a
function would have been adequate.=;-)

Ken.

_________________________________________________________
Ken Cline                             address@hidden
SAIC                                 VOICE (410) 571-0413
Annapolis, MD                          FAX (301) 261-8427




                  ==================================
   Swarm-Support is for discussion of the technical details of the day
   to day usage of Swarm.  For list administration needs (esp.
   [un]subscribing), please send a message to <address@hidden>
   with "help" in the body of the message.