> OK, we're analysing this to a level it was never meant to be > analysed at. >
This often seems to happen, though. I find design patterns to be incredibly useful for attaching names to common code constructs (both for describing how something was implemented or how it could/should be implemented) but I find them unhelpful whenever they're wedged into a context where the potential user of the pattern hasn't previously worked on the problem and personally experienced the pain of coding themselves into a corner. They get locked up in a terror that they aren't following the pattern to the letter, and freak out when the pattern isn't a 100% match for what they're trying to do. I once saw some code that had a class factory that produced class factories, for no reason other than they didn't dare put two factory methods on the same object, because the pattern didn't say that was ok. To bring it back to an area near and dear to my heart, its like explaining lanesplitting techniques to a motorcyclist who lives in a rural area with no traffic. Sure, there are lots of best practices and potential gotchas and what-to-do-when, but they're only interesting from a theoretical perspective if you're never in that situation. However, they'll make a lot more sense -after- a cell-phone-babbling soccer mom in a Maibatsu Monstrosity suddenly realizes she needs to exit soon and cuts you off, forcing you to threshold brake, release, swerve a full lanes-width in front of a bus to the next gap between lanes, and then accelerate so hard you pull a small wheelie off a rain-slicked Bott's Dot while still leaned over, three cylinders of bottled impatience howling as you feed 120hp to the ground via a sticky rubber contact patch the size of a deck of cards[1] (Ah, Lanesplitting Pattern #4, on- and off-ramps are like tributaries in the traffic stream, they cause turbulence...) -rg [1] Part of my employment agreement is that I must checkpoint my code into source control a bit more frequently than my sane coworkers. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get Bzzzy! (real tools to help you find a job). Welcome to the Sweet Life. http://us.click.yahoo.com/A77XvD/vlQLAA/TtwFAA/nhFolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -- Flexcoders Mailing List FAQ: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt Search Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
