Re: Delphi support for generics/templates?

From: Wayne Niddery [TeamB] (wniddery_at_chaffaci.on.ca)
Date: 02/11/04 

Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 11:48:53 -0500

Dave Jewell wrote:
>
> I can accept that it will be easier to implement when the runtime
> provides generics support, but my question for the panel is: "In what
> way will the runtime provide generics support, and how will it work?"
> From my perspective, the compiler generates the needed classes based
> on the supplied type, so I'd be interested in an explanation of
> exactly what the runtime has to do with things.

It issue seems pretty clear to me:

Yes, they could invent their own implementation of generics within the
Delphi compiler without regard for how it is implemented in .Net. However it
is *known* that there will be an implementaiton of generics added to .Net
soon. Whether they were to do their own now or not, they would most
definitely need to support the MS implementation once added. Therefore,
doing their own now would lead to:
1) having to support two different implementations of the same thing
2) or rewriting their implementation then to make it compatible with .Net
3) or removing their own implementation at that time and breaking people's
code

The end result is they'll burn resources now to implement this just to be
faced with the above later. Not very cost effective nor best use of limited
resources in my book - they could be using their time to work on other
features that will not be (or at least less likely to be) so redundant.

We've waited this long for generics already, a little longer won't hurt
since the result will be one single compatible implementation. 

-- 
Wayne Niddery - Logic Fundamentals, Inc. (www.logicfundamentals.com)
RADBooks: http://www.logicfundamentals.com/RADBooks.html
"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can
stand by itself." - Thomas Jefferson

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