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[Eric W. Biederman]

>>>>> "TF" == Thomas Mork Farrelly <s720@drone.ii.uib.no> writes:

TF> On Tue, 27 Oct 1998, David Manifold wrote:
>> On Tue, 27 Oct 1998, Thomas M. Farrelly wrote:
>> 
>> > So 'foo.c' will be all over a reflective system.
>> 
>> To anyone:  There seem to be many different kinds and extents of
>> reflection.  Is it possible to clarify and distinguish these? 

TF> I see reflection as the ability to modify self. In a software system,
TF> reflection must in some way be implemented. Whether or not this reflection
TF> mechanism should be reflective is an option. If it is, the reflective
TF> system could redefine itself to not beeing reflective, from where there is
TF> no way back. This way a non-reflective system is sort of a subset of a
TF> reflective one. Also is should be possible to spesify a transition from
TF> one reflective system to another without going breaking the boundaries of
TF> the initial reflective framework.

Thank you this helps put some things in perspective for me.

I like the definition:
-- Reflection is the ability to modify self.
-- Anyone else are there any problems with that definition?

The line:
Wether or not this reflection mechanism should be reflective is an option.
Could actually be restated as:
The reflective system may not be part of the self....


The concrete example I get from redefining a reflective system to not be relfective,
is developing a program in a forth system  (or in any interactive intense system),
and the removing the forth command line (the development environment).
 

Eric