Split Objects: a Disciplined Use of Delegation within Objects

Abstract

This paper's primary aim is to improve the understanding of the delegation mechanism as defined in [18]. We propose a new characterization of delegation based on the notions of name sharing, property sharing and value sharing. It allows us (1) to clearly differentiate delegation from class-inheritance in particular and more generally from other inheritance mechanisms and (2) to explain how a founded use of delegation relies on a correct semantics of variable property sharing between objects connected by a delegation link. We then describe a model of split objects which is proposed as an example of a disciplined and semantically founded use of delegation, where property sharing expresses viewpoints within objects.