CSE341: Programming Languages Lecture 19 Introduction To Ruby; Dynamic OOP; "Duck Typing" Dan Grossman Fall 2011 The plan • Will still use Racket for some more topics, but first get up-to-speed on Ruby – Do now to better align with homework and section schedule • Lecture materials may not recount every little language feature we use – Thomas book (2nd edition, Chapters 1-9) quite readable • Can skip/skim regexps and ranges • Also see online library documentation [large, searchable] • Focus in class will be on OOP, dynamic typing, blocks, mixins Fall 2011 2 CSE341: Programming Languages Logistics • We will use Ruby 1.8.7 – Ruby 1.9 is not compatible, but not hugely different – "The real world" is still using both a lot – Homework 6's graphics (mandatory) won't work with 1.9 • Installation instructions, etc. on course web-page – Can run programs with a REPL called irb • Homework 6 is about understanding and extending an existing program in an unfamiliar language – Good practice; different than previous homeworks – Read code: determine what you do and don't (!) need to know Fall 2011 3 CSE341: Programming Languages Ruby • Pure object-oriented: all values are objects (even numbers) • Class-based: Every object has a class that determines behavior – Like Java, unlike Javascript – Mixins (neither Java interfaces nor C++ multiple inheritance) • Dynamically typed • Convenient reflection: Run-time inspection of objects • Blocks and libraries encourage lots of closure idioms • Syntax and scoping rules of a "scripting language" – Often many ways to say the same thing – Variables "spring to life" on use – Lots of support for string manipulation [we won't do this] • Popular for building server-side web applications – But we won't discuss Ruby on Rails Fall 2011 4 CSE341: Programming Languages Where Ruby fits Note: Racket also has classes and objects when you want them – In Ruby everything uses them (at least implicitly) Historical note: Smalltalk also a dynamically typed, class-based, pure OOP language with blocks and convenient reflection – Smaller just-as-powerful language – Contrast Ruby's "why not add that" attitude • Probably less elegant; perhaps more useful Dynamically typed OO helps identify OO's essence by not having to discuss types Fall 2011 5 CSE341: Programming Languages dynamically typed statically typed functional Racket SML object-oriented Ruby Java Defining a class [For full code details and various expression constructs, see lec19.rb] Fall 2011 6 CSE341: Programming Languages class Rational = # no instance variable (field) decls # just assign to @foo to create field foo def initialize (num,den=1) … @num = num @den = den end def print … end def add r … end … endUsing a class • ClassName.new(args) creates a new instance of ClassName and calls its initialize method with args • Every variable holds an object (possibly the nil object) – Local variables (in a method) foo – Instance variables (fields) @foo – Class variables (static fields) @@foo • You use an object with a method call – Also known as a message send – Every object has a class, which determines its behavior • Examples: x.m 4 x.m1.m2(y.m3) -42.abs – m and m(…) are sugar for self.m and self.m(…) – e1 + e2 is sugar for e1.+(e2) (really!) Fall 2011 7 CSE341: Programming Languages Method / variable visibility • private: only available to object itself • protected: available only to code in the class or subclasses • public: available to all code This is different than what the words mean in Java • All instance variables and class variables are private • Methods are public by default – There are multiple ways to change a method's visibility Fall 2011 8 CSE341: Programming Languages Some syntax / scoping gotchas • You create variables (including instance variables) implicitly by assigning to them – So a mis-spelling just creates a new variable – Different instances of a class could have different fields • Newlines matter – Often need more syntax to put something on one line – Indentation is only style (not true in some languages) • Class names must be capitalized • Message sends with 0 or 1 argument don't need parentheses • self is a special keyword (Java's this) Fall 2011 9 CSE341: Programming Languages Getters and setters • If you want outside access to get/set instance variables, must define methods • The foo= convention allows sugar via extra spaces when using the method • Shorter syntax for defining getters and setters is: • Overall, requiring getters and setters is more uniform and more OO – Can change the methods later without changing clients – Particular form of change is subclass overriding [next lecture] Fall 2011 10 CSE341: Programming Languages def foo @foo end def foo= a @foo = a end x.foo = 42 x.foo attr_writer :foo attr_reader :foo Top-level • Expressions at top-level are evaluated in the context of an implicit "main" object with class Object • That is how a standalone program would "get started" rather than requiring an object creation and method call from within irb • Top-level methods are added to Object, which makes them available everywhere Fall 2011 11 CSE341: Programming Languages Class definitions are dynamic • All definitions in Ruby are dynamic • Example: Any code can add or remove methods on existing classes – Very occasionally useful (or cute) to add your own method to the Array class for example, but it is visible to all arrays • Changing a class affects even already-created instances • Disastrous example: Changing Fixnum's + method • Overall: A simple language definition where everything can be changed and method lookup uses instance's classes Fall 2011 12 CSE341: Programming LanguagesDuck Typing "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck" – Or don't worry that it may not be a duck When writing a method you might think, "I need a Foo argument" but really you need an object with enough methods similar to Foo's methods that your method works – Embracing duck typing is always making method calls rather than assuming/testing the class of arguments Plus: More code reuse; very OO approach – What messages an object receive is all that matters
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