On 4/26/2010 5:13 PM, Igor Stasenko wrote:
> So, we could have our cake and eating it too:
> - do not use globals (like MenuEntrySpec). Really, a format (or class)
> which is used for holding a menu spec is totally irrelevant to an
> external package. So, why external package should care about these
> details, why not like following:
>
> Object>>globalMenuRegistry
>    ^ World menuRegistry "whatever"
>
> MyExternalPackageClass class>>initialize
>    self addMenuEntry.
>
> MyExternalPackageClass class>>addMenuEntry
>
>     self globalMenuRegistry addMenuEntry: #(
>         contents 'Well... hello?'
>                  help 'Displays the Hello World'
>                  location ('Help')
>                  target selector #inform: arguments ('Hello World!')
>                  position first)
>        forClass: self
>
> So, as simple as that:
>   - an external package expects from system to support a certain
> protocol, which can be used to access various system services
> (in our case , this is a #globalMenuRegistry)
> - an external package expects from menuRegistry to support a certain
> protocol, which can be used to add menu entries and control other
> various properties.
>
> So, that's how we can at the same time keep system decoupled, and be
> able to have a direct communications between service&  consumer.
> Just stop using globals and build the basic system infrastructure
> based on message sends and protocols.

That ends up with code like here:

MCWorkingCopy class>>initialize
	 (TheWorldMenu respondsTo: #registerOpenCommand:)
          ifTrue: [TheWorldMenu registerOpenCommand: {'Monticello 
Browser'. {self. #open}}]

which is precisely why I don't like it. It is also subject to the 
evolution system - how long is it going to take until we figure that the 
method shouldn't be called Object>>globalMenuRegistry etc.

Finally, I should also add that you *can* browse senders and 
implementors of annotations. Try for example browsing 
senders/implementors of #preference:category:description:type: to see 
what I mean.

Cheers,
   - Andreas