Re: [Cdk-devel] RFC: Clones and Copies

[Kai H. <Kai.Hartmann@Uni-Koeln.De>]

Hi all,

I agree with your proposal. But: The copy() method should be named 
shallowCopy() - as it is now. This way it is obvious for the 
once-in-a-while user what the methods do.

Kai

Egon Willighagen wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> recently I posted some bits on the PMD tests, and some remaining problems with 
> the core classes... I might have found another one... 
> 
> What about cloning? Therefore:
> 
> ===========================================
> Request for Comments
> 
> Name: Clones and Copies
> Date: 2004-08-07
> Proposer: Egon Willighagen
> 
> REASON
> 
> AtomContainer has a shallowCopy() and a clone()... the first clones everything 
> by making clones of all fields, while the second only creates a new 
> AtomContainer, but with the exact same instances for its content... 
> 
> Atom's clone() method, however, was more like a shallowCopy... I've fixed 
> this, but since this is so important I really want to make this a formal 
> agreement, and therefore this proposal.
> 
> PROPOSAL
> 
> Each core class has a clone() and a copy() method. The first makes a deep 
> clone, which means that clone() makes a clone of itself and all of its 
> content. The copy() method, however, makes a clone of itself and maintains 
> the instances of all object fields.
> 
> ===========================================
>