TheFlyingDutchman wrote: > I am not talking about how the implementation of a C++ or Java > compiler uses the this pointer/this reference internally. I am > talking about how an author describes in English the "this" > pointer/reference in their book on programming C++ or Java.
Ah, okay. > I don't think you will find them saying that under the covers > "this" was passed to the method (if in fact it is). They just say > that it refers to the current object inside that object's method. Mh, in my book, there is (quickly translated from german): | Instance pointer (C++ only) | | The /this/ pointer is a feature of all non-static class methods. | Every non static method is extended internally by a /this/ | argument. To that argument the compiler passes a pointer to the | instance for which the method is being called. (Dirk Louis, C/C++-Kompendium, Markt&Technik-Verlag, 2000) And that's only from the pointer chapter. The OOP chapters are more detailed. And no, it's no book about compiler architecture, it's a compendium. > Here is a link to a tutorial where Sun is talking about the this > reference: > http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/java/javaOO/thiskey.html That's a tutorial for getting you started, no reference documentation or in-depth course. > I am referring to C++. If someone is trying to learn the language, > knowledge of the internal implemenation is counter-productive in > my opinion because it distracts from the details they need to > learn. In a language like C++ it is beneficial to know some inner workings -- in the same way like it's beneficial to know some inner workings of a computer if you want to use it. BTW, C is not for nothing called "portable assembler" :) > If they are experienced and want to learn about the internals to > potentially help them code in the most blazingingly fast manner > they ideally would just be reminded they are using C++ and not > some slower byte-code executed language where it could possibly > matter. ;) I don't know if it's just me, but I tend to understand stuff like virtual methods much better if I know *why* they exist, and not just *that* they do. That makes judging if and when I need them easier. Regards, Björn -- BOFH excuse #192: runaway cat on system. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
