[unios] More support of reflection, from tidbits from the list.

[Tril]

From: Tril <dem@tunes.org>


Anders:
> You can give a car a faster engine or tires afterwards, but you can't
> give it a better design without reconstructing it.
Reflection allows redesign/reconstruction by the user (or by programs
priviledged by the user, perhaps to automatically choose from a range of 
designs).

Pat:
> The UniOS project is a scalable OS that can scale in any direction. How
> does it do this?  That is what we are trying to find out... 
It can do it with reflection.  You can self-extend the system in any
direction.  Every new object added to the system is first-class.

Pat:
> Hot swap kernels, processing and memory managers...  does anyone see why
> this would not work?  Does this not satisfy the requirements of a
> Universal Operating system?  Does it constrain the user/programmer?
Reflection is the key. I believe it does satisfy the requirements of a
universal OS.  It doesn't constrain the user/programmer, but it does make
a harder job for us and a careful design of the system necessary.

Srikant:
> We can't write a universal generic OS.....
> But may be we can design the basic frame work ...
> This frame work can be rather a Very High Level Design. (VHLD)
With a reflective framework the system can be specialized into an OS with
any specific features the user wants.  In Tunes we also have a very high
level design.

Srikant:
> This is the difference ... the resulting system becomes :
> 'A jack of all trades but master of NONE'
[Pat]
> Only because the system processing all things in the exact same way... 
> A system that can change it's own processing methods, would be able to
> master any one of these... but not all running at the same time (I don't
> think we can expect that)...
"Changing its own processing methods" is just another name for reflection.

Anders:
> When designing the system, we can't do so with our personal view of a
> good system, but with the view of the target users, what the users
> wants. And our users are... that's right - everybody. So, what is
> important for users in general? All features we've mentioned. We're back
> at square one. 
I think a reflective system very strongly supports the view that the user
is in charge.

David Manifold <dem@tunes.org>
This message is placed in the public domain.


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