What do you mean operates at higher level? >From Wikipedia: "In computer science <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science>, *reflection* is the ability of a computer program<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_program> to examine (see type introspection<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_introspection>) and modify the structure and behavior (specifically the values, meta-data, properties and functions) of the program at runtime<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_time_(program_lifecycle_phase)> ."
Most things are much harder to do in Java than in Smalltalk but I don't know if the level differs so much. For example method substitution is not so standard VM feature in Java. 2014-03-25 12:42 GMT+02:00 Sergi Reyner <sergi.rey...@gmail.com>: > 2014-03-25 10:30 GMT+00:00 Benjamin <benjamin.vanryseghem.ph...@gmail.com> > : > > Within an instance method or a constructor, this is a reference to the > *current >> object* — the object whose method or constructor is being called. You >> can refer to any member of the current object from within an instance >> method or a constructor by using this. >> >> from: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/thiskey.html >> > > >> thisContext in smalltalk points to the execution context of the method >> being currently evaluated. >> So definitely this and self are the “same” (as long as we do not talk >> about inner classes) >> > > Yeah, that part I truly understand.I do know enough Java and Smalltalk to > understand that "this" and "self" are equivalent (topic which somehow > evaporated from the debate, and replaced with "this is the same and > thisContext because [unintelligible Java code]". > > >> thisContext does not exist in Java AFAIK >> > > That´s exactly what my intuition led me to. But when I tried to explain > that I, too, don´t think that Java has a concept of "thisContext" I was > presented with this: > > Field a = sun.misc.VM.class.getDeclaredField("directMemory"); > a.setAccessible(true); > a.get(null); > > > Which, after some investigation, and as far as I understood, looks to me > as if all it does is retrieve what "this" points to. > > It´s not really relevant because what I was arguing is that Smalltalk > reflection operates at a higher level, which that piece of code proves > pretty nicely, but since we got there I´d like to understand everything > argued. > > Cheers, > Sergi > > PS: Note that I´m not trying to win an internet debate, but simply to > understand :) > > > > -- Panu
