Where to use SELF - your opinion

[Peter.Deutsch@Eng.Sun.COM (L. Peter Deutsch)]

I would summarize your message as follows:

C/C++:
	costs:	writing type declarations
		finding memory management bugs

	benefits:
		type errors caught at compile time
		consistently fast execution
		better documentation of programmer's intentions

Self:
	costs:	much larger run-time memory requirements
		much less predictable execution time

	benefits:
		faster turnaround for source changes
		no memory management errors

(The fast turnaround problem is being addressed by the C++ vendors, as I'm
sure you noticed at OOPSLA.)

Reading this balance sheet, I would conclude that C/C++ are good for some
things, and Self is good for other things.  For production code, I think
C/C++ have clear advantages, especially since (as I *didn't* note above)
there is no commercial-style Self implementation (with documentation,
support, portability, etc.)

				Peter