CommonLoops: Merging Common Lisp Object-Oriented Programming

[Masinter.pa@Xerox.ARPA]

CommonLoops is is a merger of object-oriented programming and Lisp. We
are proposing that it be adopted as a standard within the Common Lisp.
We have written a paper about CommonLoops, which we are distributing to
members of the Common Lisp Object-Oriented Programming group for
discussion at a meeting during IJCAI.

If you would like a copy of the paper, please send your name and
complete address to Mimi Gardner (MGardner.PA@Xerox). (Copies have been
distributed to members of CL-Object-Oriented-Programming).

There is a discussion list, CommonLoops^.PA@XEROX, for discussions about
technical issues. This discussion group is open, and currently includes
members both from within and outside of Xerox. If you wish to be
included, please reply.

ABSTRACT

Object oriented programming has long been recognized as a key
programming technique for many applications. CommonLoops blends object
oriented programming harmoniously with the function oriented design of
Lisp. In CommonLoops, Lisp functions are methods, Lisp data types are
classes, and message passing is invoked via normal Lisp function call;
programs can incrementally be moved between the functional and
object-oriented style. CommonLoops has a small kernel, yet it is
powerful enough to be a base for implementing the features of the major
object-oriented systems in use today. Through the use of metaclasses,
multiple paradigms can gracefully coexist. Thus, CommonLoops provides
the basic mechanism of object oriented programming as an extension to
Common Lisp, while allowing a wide variety of experimentation with
different styles of using it. Over the next few months, we expect the
this design to profit greatly from the discussions of the community.