On Thu, 11 Aug 2005, Gavin Kistner wrote:

> c) Rewrite my library not to use my own hacks, but instead strive to use only 
> built-in stuff.

My whole reply was a little tease....

My Hidden Agenda was...

* Looky See, very very nice NullObject pattern solution to this problem.

* Wait for the chorus of Yums! As people see how simple and tasty it is.

* Wait for the echo of Yucks as curmudgeons like you correctly note the
   downside.

* Pop up and say, "I told you so, we need to disambiguate the meanings of
   nil!"

Unfortunately the poor newbie gets sorrowfully confused in the process.

Sorry mate.



John Carter                             Phone : (64)(3) 358 6639
Tait Electronics                        Fax   : (64)(3) 359 4632
PO Box 1645 Christchurch                Email : john.carter / tait.co.nz
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Carter's Clarification of Murphy's Law.

"Things only ever go right so that they may go more spectacularly wrong later."

From this principle, all of life and physics may be deduced.