Re: Category Errors

[Jim Kempf <kempf%hplabsz@hplabs.HP.COM>]

>I think it would be a mistake to build barriers between class and
>metaclass protocols.  One of the strong appeals of CLOS is that one can
>experiment within its framework.  We once worked out how Object Lisp's
>view that classes and instances are pretty much the same could be
>implemented in PCL.  A good fraction of the OOP community believes in
>these "prototypes" which unify classes and instances.  We should be
>careful not to prohibit CLOS from evolving in that direction if people
>come to believe its a win.
>

I agree with this viewpoint in principle, which is why I wouldn't want
to see any stronger barriers be erected than packageization. That seems
to me to be the minimum to keep people happy who want to maintain some
distance and are already uncomfortable with the metaclass protocol,
and those who believe that no barriers are appropriate. Someone wanting
to implement Object Lisp need only use both the user interface and
metaclass symbols.