Class: VarArgBlock

• Inheritance
• Description
• Class protocol
  • initialization
• Instance protocol
  • evaluation
  • testing
• Examples

Inheritance:

   Object
   |
   +--ExecutableFunction
      |
      +--CompiledCode
         |
         +--Block
            |
            +--VarArgBlock

Package:

stx:libbasic

Category:

Kernel-Methods

Version:

rev: 1.11 date: 2021/01/20 14:27:41

user: cg

file: VarArgBlock.st directory: libbasic

module: stx stc-classLibrary: libbasic

Description:

VarArgBlocks are much like blocks, but can accept a variable
number of arguments. They must be defined as a regular block,
with 1 argument. When executed, the actual argument list is
passed in that single argument (as a collection).

Create a variableArgument block by sending #asVarArgBlock to a regular
block.

This is a goody add-on, which may not be available/possible in other
smalltalk implementations. Do not use it if cross-platform
portability is required.

copyright
COPYRIGHT (c) 1997 by eXept Software AG / Claus Gittinger
             All Rights Reserved

This software is furnished under a license and may be used
only in accordance with the terms of that license and with the
inclusion of the above copyright notice.   This software may not
be provided or otherwise made available to, or used by, any
other person.  No title to or ownership of the software is
hereby transferred.

Class protocol:

 initialize

must clear the is-block flag bit in the class
(otherwise, the VM might try to inline value-messages)

Usage example(s):

self flags. self initialize. self flags.

Instance protocol:

 value

evaluate the receiver with no block args.

 value: arg

evaluate the receiver with a single argument.

 value: arg1 value: arg2

evaluate the receiver with two arguments.

 value: arg1 value: arg2 value: arg3

evaluate the receiver with three arguments.

 value: arg1 value: arg2 value: arg3 value: arg4

evaluate the receiver with four arguments.

 value: arg1 value: arg2 value: arg3 value: arg4 value: arg5

evaluate the receiver with five arguments.

 value: arg1 value: arg2 value: arg3 value: arg4 value: arg5 value: arg6

evaluate the receiver with six arguments.

 value: arg1 value: arg2 value: arg3 value: arg4 value: arg5 value: arg6 value: arg7

evaluate the receiver with seven arguments.

 value: arg1 value: arg2 value: arg3 value: arg4 value: arg5 value: arg6 value: arg7 value: arg8

evaluate the receiver with eight arguments.

 valueWithArguments: argArray

evaluate the receiver with all arguments in argArray.

 isVarArgBlock

return true, if this block accepts a variable number of arguments

Examples:

  |b|

  b := [:args | Transcript show:'wow: '; showCR:args] asVarArgBlock.

  b value:'hi' value:'there'.
  b value:'hello' value:'there' value:'how' value:'about' value:'this'.

  |b|

  b := [:args | Transcript showCR:args].
  Transcript showCR:(b isVarArgBlock).

  b := [:args | Transcript showCR:args] asVarArgBlock.
  Transcript showCR:(b isVarArgBlock)