[Pharo-users] About patterns, UML and documentation

[Marc Hanisch via Pharo-users]

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Hello,

I don't know Smalltalk well enough to give myself an answer about the
following topic:

When using design patterns, one benefit of writing interfaces and passing
objects, that implement this interface, to methods is, that the reader
instantly knows: okay, here the method A expects something that implements
method B.

Due to the nature of being a dynamically typed language, Smalltalk does not
need interfaces. An exception object is thrown when a message is passed to
an object that does not implement that method. But this message send could
be deep inside the code.

How do you show to the reader of your code your intention, that you are
expecting, let's say for example, an iterator or an object that implements
method X, Y and Z?

Just with your method comments? Do you use UML? If so, how (without
interfaces that point to the required methods)?

Sorry, but I think my understanding of OOP is still to much influenced by
C++ and Java based teachings...

Thanks and best regards,
Marc

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