Beefy Boxes and Bandwidth Generously Provided by pair Networks
good chemistry is complicated,
and a little bit messy -LW

Re: Re: Re: Re: What is this can() and why is breaking it (un)acceptable?

by tilly (Archbishop)
on Apr 06, 2004 at 21:13 UTC ( #343125=note: print w/ replies, xml ) Need Help??

in reply to Re: Re: Re: What is this can() and why is breaking it (un)acceptable?
in thread Why breaking can() is acceptable

What I want to get at depends on your programming style. Let me first give some perspective.

If you are good about having really clear function names, then in practice nobody is actually going to name a function something that will conflict with the name that you look for. In that case, if can() finds the method, it is a reasonable assumption that the method will, in fact, do what you expect it to. Furthermore if you are good about not using AUTOLOAD, or else using AUTOLOAD and overriding can() and being aware of where your override works, then it is reasonable to assume that can() does what it should do.

In that case there are lots of interesting design patterns that use can() for reflection. Which is why enough people consider it useful that it got put in the core.

If, however, either of the assumptions is wrong, then its utility drops rapidly. It is fine in cases where you check that it works, but it will be a fragile layer. (Depending on your perspective you can blame the fragility on can() itself, or on the practices that made can() fragile. It doesn't really matter - the fragility is there.)

Furthermore there are other styles of programming in which you are very unlikely to want to reach for can() at all. Therefore an erosion of can() is going to not matter to you.

If you're in the first camp, people who want to reach for can() whose own personal style is going to make it work out for you, then people who casually break can() are going to frustrate you. I would like you to understand the perspective of people who are going to break can(), and be aware of why it is unrealistic to expect them to generally improve and start working like you want them to work.

If you're in the second camp, people who are likely to accidentally break can(), I want you to understand what the issue is, why it becomes an issue, and have enough perspective to more deliberately make the decision about whether or not YOU will choose to support can() in any particular scenario.


Log In?

What's my password?
Create A New User
Node Status?
node history
Node Type: note [id://343125]
and the web crawler heard nothing...

How do I use this? | Other CB clients
Other Users?
Others perusing the Monastery: (9)
As of 2014-12-27 06:26 GMT
Find Nodes?
    Voting Booth?

    Is guessing a good strategy for surviving in the IT business?

    Results (176 votes), past polls