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Documentation of class 'PrivateMetaclass':

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Class: PrivateMetaclass


Inheritance:

   Object
   |
   +--Behavior
      |
      +--ClassDescription
         |
         +--Metaclass
            |
            +--PrivateMetaclass

Package:
stx:libbasic
Category:
Kernel-Classes
Version:
rev: 1.13 date: 2004/03/05 17:53:16
user: cg
file: PrivateMetaclass.st directory: libbasic
module: stx stc-classLibrary: libbasic
Author:
Claus Gittinger

Description:


A PrivateMetaclass is much like a regular Metaclass, but it is only visible (known)
to some owningClass (which is also true for the PrivateMetaclasses sole instance).

Its sourceCode, package and revision is forced to be the same as the owning classes'.
Therefore, privateClasses delegate some queries to their owning class.

Caution: support for private classes is an ST/X special feature.
         This mechanism may not be provided by other smalltalk systems,
         making your code unportable.
         (However, private classes can be simulated pretty easily, using classVariables
          or classInstance variables ...)


Related information:

    Behavior
    ClassDescription
    Class
    Metaclass

Instance protocol:

accessing
o  nameSpace
return the nameSpace I am contained in.
For private classes, this is my owning class

o  owningClass
return my owningClass

o  setOwningClass: something
set my owningClass - this is not a public entry

o  topOwningClass
return my outermost owningClass; that is the first non-private
class along the owner-chain.

queries
o  isBuiltInClass

o  package
return my package-id



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