Implementation of Aggregation and Composition

ruby-talk
1

Hello everybody,

I would like to implemente the "Aggregation" - as in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggregation_(object-oriented_programming) -
and the "Composition" - as
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_composition. I hope thanks to this
be able to manage my objects such as my UML model. But I don't exacly
see the basic Ruby implementation of, and which could be the more sexy
way.

Thanks to any suggestions and help.

D.

···

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

2

class Foo

   attr_accessor :aggregate
   attr_reader :composite

   def initialize
     @composite = Part.new
   end

end

f = Foo.new
a = AnotherClass.new
f.aggregate = a

Cheers

  robert

···

On 06.01.2009 12:25, David B. wrote:

Hello everybody,

I would like to implemente the "Aggregation" - as in
Object composition - Wikipedia -
and the "Composition" - as
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_composition\. I hope thanks to this
be able to manage my objects such as my UML model. But I don't exacly
see the basic Ruby implementation of, and which could be the more sexy
way.

Thanks to any suggestions and help.

--
remember.guy do |as, often| as.you_can - without end

3

David B. wrote:

I would like to implemente the "Aggregation" - as in
Object composition - Wikipedia -
and the "Composition" - as

Wikipedia says that Composition is where a structure directly includes
its members, whereas Aggregation is where a structure only contains
references to those members.

This distinction doesn't apply in Ruby; everything is a reference, so
Aggregation is your only option.

class Professor; end

class Department
  attr_accessor :members
  def initialize
    @members =
  end
end

class University
  attr_accessor :faculty
  def initialize
    @faculty =
  end
end

u = University.new
d = Department.new
u.faculty << d
p = Professor.new
d.members << p

Neither the arrays nor their elements are 'directly contained'; rather,
references to those objects are stored. For example:

              @faculty
   University ------------> Array ---------> Department(1)
                                 '---------> Department(2)

If you no longer hold a reference to the University anywhere, then it
will eventually be garbage collected. If this means that nothing else
holds a reference to that particular Array, then that will be
garbage-collected too. Ditto for the Departments, if there were no other
references to them apart from those in the Array.

Arrays are untyped collections. Ruby won't enforce that
University#faculty may only contain Department objects, nor that each
Department may only be referenced from a single University (as the UML
shows).

···

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/\.

4

Brian Candler escreveu:

David B. wrote:
  

I would like to implemente the "Aggregation" - as in
Object composition - Wikipedia -
and the "Composition" - as
    
Wikipedia says that Composition is where a structure directly includes its members, whereas Aggregation is where a structure only contains references to those members.

This distinction doesn't apply in Ruby; everything is a reference, so Aggregation is your only option.

class Professor; end

class Department
  attr_accessor :members
  def initialize
    @members =
  end
end

class University
  attr_accessor :faculty
  def initialize
    @faculty =
  end
end

u = University.new
d = Department.new
u.faculty << d
p = Professor.new
d.members << p

Neither the arrays nor their elements are 'directly contained'; rather, references to those objects are stored. For example:

              @faculty
   University ------------> Array ---------> Department(1)
                                 '---------> Department(2)

If you no longer hold a reference to the University anywhere, then it will eventually be garbage collected. If this means that nothing else holds a reference to that particular Array, then that will be garbage-collected too. Ditto for the Departments, if there were no other references to them apart from those in the Array.

Arrays are untyped collections. Ruby won't enforce that University#faculty may only contain Department objects, nor that each Department may only be referenced from a single University (as the UML shows).
  

It's right. And , dont worry , but probaply you can not implements some "design patterns" too.
Am i right Brian?
- tiago nogueira

5

Tiago Nogueira wrote:

It's right. And , dont worry , but probaply you can not implements some
"design patterns" too.
Am i right Brian?

Depends what you're talking about. Certainly some "design patterns" for
other languages are irrelevant in Ruby.

···

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/\.

6

Brian Candler escreveu:

Tiago Nogueira wrote:
  

It's right. And , dont worry , but probaply you can not implements some
"design patterns" too.
Am i right Brian?
    
Depends what you're talking about. Certainly some "design patterns" for other languages are irrelevant in Ruby.
  

Exactly.The fact of some patterns be irrelevant in ruby is one of some things that blow some minds for the people that are stating in ruby language. It happened with me. Here in Brazil Java haves too much power and when i decided to change to Ruby it was hard. And , of course , in Java we can implements some patterns that are totally irrelevant in ruby because of "ruby's /astonishments "/ :slight_smile:
- tiago
viva ruby

7

Many thanks, Robert Klemme and Brian Candler! Now I see how to process!
=D

···

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.