Re: [wxperl-users] scalar reference objects?

[Mattia B. <mb...@ds...>]

> Something I've found annoying is that some classes are
> implemented as scalar references. Say I want to
> subclass Wx::MenuBar. Because it is a scalar reference
> instead of the normal hash reference, I can't do this:

<snip>

> I think since wxWindows philosophy/API is very object-oriented,
> that perhaps (unless there is a technical reason forbidding it)
> those classes should be hash refs.
Well, wxPerl classes are arbitrarily divided in "subclassable" and
"not subclassable";
Subclassable:
1a. ->new returns an hash ref
1b. wxPerl always returns the original hash ref from
    wxWindows methods (f.e. from ->GetChildren or ->GetParent)
Not subclassable:
2a. -> new returns a scalar ref
2b. wxPerl creates a new scalar ref every time it needs to return
    such an object from wxWindows methods

Having 1b requires a small but nonzero amount of work, so I try not to
have it without necessity (BTW subclassing wxMenuBar is unusual,
why do you need it? just curious); I could have 1a and 2b, but that would
be confusing
----
my $a = Wx::MenuBar->new(...);
$frame->SetMenuBar( $a );
my $b = $frame->GetMenuBar;
# $a is an hash ref, $b is a scalar ref, OR another hash ref,
# different from the first one
----

I can move wxMenuBar (or any other class) to subclassable (or to not
subclassable) it just requires some small work.

Regards
Mattia