> I just think that calling it the "constructor area" is 
> dangerous because it 
> suggests to those that are new to working with CFCs that 
> there is a true 
> concept of constructors, which there isn't. What people have 
> implemented is 
> merely a workaround for this absent (but coveted) feature. As 
> far as I'm 
> concerned the "Camden scope" is a better name because it 
> doesn't suggest 
> anything about that area that is not intended.

I'm going to get picky here. While the use of 'code outside functions as
a constructor' is a hack, the unnamed scope is NOT a hack (imho). The
so-called unnamed/private scope (although it's not really private) does
work as intended I think, not counting the fact that Variables.* is
broken. Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but we seem to be talking about
two features, and while one is unintended (constructor), the other (non
This scope variables) is intended and can be used w/o fear of it
changing (again, at least as far as I know).

> And what happens if Macromedia introduces a concept of a 
> constructor that 
> does not mimic what many developers are using now? 
> Personally, I don't think 
> Macromedia should be tied down to current workaround 
> practices (I'm not 
> suggesting you said that, just making an observation) when 
> and if they 
> decide to introduce it as a feature in the next release. For 
> example, if 
> they eventually introduce the concept of a constructor as 
> being a method 
> with the same name as the CFC (comparable to Java), then the 
> "constructor 
> area" you refer to is no longer valid and becomes misleading. 
> I never said 
> it's dangerous, but I did say that you need to be careful about using 
> unintended features.

I do agree with you, my point was that this seems to be a mechanism used
by most, but not all, CFC authors. MACR has a history of looking at what
people do and not mucking with that in future releases. I'd be willing
to bet that MX2, or MX200X, or whatever, will have a 'formal'
constructor concept, but will still support the 'code outside functions
constructor' hack.

Anyway, sorry to be so picky.

-rc

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