1987/12/01 by Lynn Andrea Stein · 1 citation
Computer Science · #Logic, Reasoning, and Knowledge #Logic, programming, and type systems #Advanced Database Systems and Queries #Delegation #Inheritance (genetic algorithm) #Computer science #Programming language #Theoretical computer science #Political science
paper · doi:10.1145/38807.38820
openalex publication_date 1987/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Inheritance and delegation are alternate methods for incremental definition and sharing. It has commonly been believed that delegation provides a more powerful model. This paper demonstrates that there is a “natural” model of inheritance which captures all of the properties of delegation. Independently, certain constraints on the ability of delegation to capture inheritance are demonstrated. Finally, a new framework which fully captures both delegation and inheritance is outlined, and some of the ramifications of this hybrid model are explored.