Sather Home Page

Section 8.2:
Binary Classes

 

This section of the required library contains definitions of those abstractions and classes which define objects as bit-patterns only. No semantics other than pattern equality testing are defined for these classes.

  1. Abstract Classes

    1. $BIT_PATTERN - an abstraction for any class which is constructed to have the semantics of single immutable bit-pattern entities.
    2. $BINARY - an abstraction for any class for which conversion between the class value and a sequence of octets is possible.
  2. Immutable Classes

    1. BIT - this version of the language defined class BIT includes additional text representation services and some conversion features. The specification is otherwise identical.
    2. OCTET - this class defines storage units which have exactly eight bits - deriving from AVAL{BIT}.
    3. HEXTET - this class defines storage units which have sixteen bits - deriving from AVAL{BIT}.
    4. QUADBITS - this class defines storage units which have thirty two bits - deriving from AVAL{BIT}.
  3. Reference Classes

    1. BINSTR - this class implements the notion of a string of OCTETs which has immutable semantics.
    2. FBINSTR - this class implements the notion of a string of OCTETs which has reference semantics.
    3. BIN_CURSOR - this class implements the concept of an indexed buffer from which chunks can be taken for use as necessary.

 


Language Index Required Library Index
Comments or enquiries should be made to Keith Hopper.
Page last modified: Friday, 10 March 2000.
Produced with          
          Amaya