tool(3tcl)

NAME
tool - TclOO Library (TOOL) Framework

SYNOPSIS
package require Tcl 8.6

package require sha1

package require dicttool

package require oo::meta

package require oo::dialect

tool::define class_method arglist body

tool::define array name contents

tool::define array_ensemble methodname varname ?cases?

tool::define dict_ensemble methodname varname ?cases?

tool::define method methodname arglist body

tool::define option name dictopts

tool::define property ?branch? field value

tool::define variable name value

object cget option

object configure ?keyvaluelist?

object configure field value ?field? ?value? ?...?

object configurelist ?keyvaluelist?

object forward stub forward

object graft stub forward

object InitializePublic

object Eval_Script ?script?

object Option_Default field

DESCRIPTION

This module implements the Tcl Object Oriented Library framework, or TOOL. It is intended to be a general purpose framework that is useable in its own right, and easily extensible.

TOOL defines a metaclass with provides several additional keywords to the TclOO description langauge, default behaviors for its consituent objects, and top-down integration with the capabilities provided by the oo::meta package.

The TOOL metaclass was build with the oo::dialect package, and thus can be used as the basis for additional metaclasses. As a metaclass, TOOL has it's own "class" class, "object" class, and define namespace.

    package require tool

    # tool::class workds just like oo::class
    tool::class create myclass {
    }

    # tool::define works just like oo::define
    tool::define myclass method noop {} {}

    # tool::define and tool::class understand additional keywords
    tool::define myclass array_ensemble mysettings mysettings {}

    # And tool interoperates with oo::define
    oo::define myclass method do_something {} { return something }

    # TOOL and TclOO objects are interchangeable
    oo::class create myooclass {
      superclass myclass
    }

Several manual pages go into more detail about specific keywords and methods.

tool::array_ensemble

tool::dict_ensemble

tool::method_ensemble

tool::object

tool::option_handling

KEYWORDS
TOOL adds new (or modifies) keywords used in the definitions of classes. However, the new keywords are only available via calls to tool::class create or tool::define

tool::define class_method arglist body
    Defines a method for the class object itself. This method will be passed on to descendents of the class, unlike self method.

tool::define array name contents
    Declares a variable name which will be initialized as an array, populated with contents for objects of this class, as well as any objects for classes which are descendents of this class.

tool::define array_ensemble methodname varname ?cases?
    Declares a method ensemble methodname which will control access to variable varname. Cases are a key/value list of method names and bodies which will be overlaid on top of the standard template. See tool::array_ensemble.

    One method name is reserved: initialize. initialize Declares the initial values to be populated in the array, as a key/value list, and will not be expressed as a method for the ensemble.

tool::define dict_ensemble methodname varname ?cases?
    Declares a method ensemble methodname which will control access to variable varname. Cases are a key/value list of method names and bodies which will be overlaid on top of the standard template. See tool::dict_ensemble.

    One method name is reserved: initialize. initialize Declares the initial values to be populated in the array, as a key/value list, and will not be expressed as a method for the ensemble.

tool::define method methodname arglist body
    If methodname contains ::, the method is considered to be part of a method ensemble. See tool::method_ensembles. Otherwise this command behaves exactly like the standard oo::define method command.

tool::define option name dictopts
    Declares an option. dictopts is a key/value list defining parameters for the option. See tool::option_handling.

    tool::class create myclass {
      option color {
        post-command: {puts [list %self%'s %field% is now %value%]}
        default: green
      }
    }
    myclass create foo
    foo configure color purple
    > foo's color is now purple

tool::define property ?branch? field value
    Defines a new leaf in the class metadata tree. With no branch, the leaf will appear in the const section, accessible by either the object's property method, or via oo::meta::info class get const field:

tool::define variable name value
    Declares a variable name which will be initialized with the value value for objects of this class, as well as any objects for classes which are descendents of this class.

PUBLIC OBJECT METHODS
The TOOL object mother of all classes defines several methods to enforces consistent behavior throughout the framework.

object cget option
    Return the value of this object's option option. If the property options_strict is true for this class, calling an option which was not declared by the option keyword will throw an error. In all other cases if the value is present in the object's options array that value is returned. If it does not exist, the object will attempt to retrieve a property of the same name.

object configure ?keyvaluelist?

object configure field value ?field? ?value? ?...?
    This command will inject new values into the objects options array, according to the rules as set forth by the option descriptions. See tool::option_handling for details. configure will strip leading -'s off of field names, allowing it to behave in a quasi-backward compatible manner to tk options.

object configurelist ?keyvaluelist?
    This command will inject new values into the objects options array, according to the rules as set forth by the option descriptions. This command will perform validation and alternate storage rules. It will not invoke trigger rules. See tool::option_handling for details.

object forward stub forward
    A passthrough to oo:objdefine [self] forward

object graft stub forward
    Delegates the <stub> method to the object or command designated by forward

    tool::object create A
    tool::object create B
    A graft buddy B
    A configure color red
    B configure color blue
    A cget color
    > red
    A <buddy> cget color
    > blue

PRIVATE OBJECT METHODS

object InitializePublic
    Consults the metadata for the class to ensure every array, option, and variable which has been declared but not initialized is initialized with the default value. This method is called by the constructor and the morph method. It is safe to invoke multiple times.

object Eval_Script ?script?
    Executes a block of text within the namespace of the object. Lines that begin with a # are ignored as comments. Commands that begin with :: are interpreted as calling a global command. All other Tcl commands that lack a "my" prefix are given one, to allow the script to exercise internal methods. This method is intended for configuration scripts, where the object's methods are intepreting a domain specific language.

    tool::class myclass {
      constructor script {
        my Eval_Script $script
      }
      method node {nodename info} {
        my variable node
        dict set node $nodename $info
      }
      method get {args} {
        my variable node
        return [dict get $node $args]
      }
    }
    myclass create movies {
      # This block of code is executed by the object
      node {The Day the Earth Stood Still} {
        date: 1952
        characters: {GORT Klatoo}
      }
    }
    movies get {The Day the Earth Stood Still} date:
    > 1952

object Option_Default field
    Computes the default value for an option. See tool::option_handling.

AUTHORS
Sean Woods

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK
This document, and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other problems. Please report such in the category tcloo of the Tcllib Trackers [http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist]. Please also report any ideas for enhancements you may have for either package and/or documentation.

When proposing code changes, please provide unified diffs, i.e the output of diff -u.

Note further that attachments are strongly preferred over inlined patches. Attachments can be made by going to the Edit form of the ticket immediately after its creation, and then using the left-most button in the secondary navigation bar.

KEYWORDS
TOOL, TclOO, framework

CATEGORY
TclOO

COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 2015 Sean Woods <yoda@etoyoc.com>