Chapter 5
Messages, Instances, and Initialization
In Chapter 4 we briefly outlined some of the compile-time features of object-oriented programming languages. That is, we described how to create new types, new classes, and new methods. In this chapter, we continue our exploration of the mechanics of object-oriented programming by examining the dynamic features. These include how values are instantiated (or created), how they are initialized, and how they communicate with each other by means of message passing.
In the first section, we explore the mechanics of message passing. Then we investigate creation and initialization. By creation we mean the allocation of memory space for a new object and the binding of that space to a name. By initialization ...
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