5.5 Namespace issues in the browser

1. Move through the browser history to find the <simple-pane> object again.

2. Go to its Superclasses page.

We saw this page in Section 5.3.1 on page 87. There, we said that the special naming format used for the superclasses here meant that they were not part of the current module of the current library.

To the browser, the current module is whatever module name is selected in the drop-down list box above the Object field (currently reversi) and the current library is the library defined by the project.

3. Change the selected value in the drop-down list to dylan:dylan.

The name <simple-pane> in the Object list changes to <simple-pane>:duim-layouts:duim-layouts.

This new representation of the <simple-pane> name says that <simple-pane> is found in the duim-layouts module of the duim-layouts library. This browser uses this special name:module:library naming format whenever name is not exported by the current module of the current library.

By changing the list setting to dylan:dylan, we told the browser that any name not in the dylan module of the dylan library should be printed using the special suffix.

The browser's ability to display names from other modules than the current module in an unambiguous fashion is important, because while browsing you may come across names not defined in your library. The browser needs to be able to make it clear when a name is not from the current library and module.

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Getting Started with Functional Developer - 31 MAR 2000