MultiJava: Modular Open Classes and Symmetric Multiple Dispatch for Java

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MultiJava: Modular Open Classes and Symmetric Multiple Dispatch for Java (2000)

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by Curtis Clifton , Gary T. Leavens

Venue:	In OOPSLA 2000 Conference on Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications
Citations:	217 - 23 self

BibTeX

@INPROCEEDINGS{Clifton00multijava:modular,
    author = {Curtis Clifton and Gary T. Leavens},
    title = {MultiJava: Modular Open Classes and Symmetric Multiple Dispatch for Java},
    booktitle = {In OOPSLA 2000 Conference on Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications},
    year = {2000},
    pages = {130--145}
}

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Abstract

We present MultiJava, a backward-compatible extension to Java supporting open classes and symmetric multiple dispatch. Open classes allow one to add to the set of methods that an existing class supports without creating distinct subclasses or editing existing code. Unlike the “Visitor ” design pattern, open classes do not require advance planning, and open classes preserve the ability to add new subclasses modularly and safely. Multiple dispatch offers several well-known advantages over the single dispatching of conventional object-oriented languages, including a simple solution to some kinds of “binary method ” problems. MultiJava’s multiple dispatch retains Java’s existing class-based encapsulation properties. We adapt previous theoretical work to allow compilation units to be statically typechecked modularly and safely, ruling out any link-time or run-time type errors. We also present a novel compilation scheme that operates modularly and incurs performance overhead only where open classes or multiple dispatching are actually used. 1.

Keyphrases

open class symmetric multiple dispatch modular open class multijava multiple dispatch class-based encapsulation property incurs performance overhead backward-compatible extension visitor design pattern simple solution previous theoretical work present multijava novel compilation scheme compilation unit multiple dispatching run-time type error binary method problem conventional object-oriented language class support single dispatching advance planning distinct subclass new subclass

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