word1.word2 notation

[Magnus L. Hetland]

Yeoh Yiu <squid at panix.com> writes:

> I've noticed in various languages, there is a construction
> of expressions with a dot in the middle.  It is a construction
> because the name with a dot in the middle is never explicitly 
> declared, as in 
> 
> 	int foo.bar = 42;   // doesn't happen this way
> 
> but rather foo is declared in one place and method (or some other 
> type of entity)  bar was declared somewhere else and foo.bar was
> always available implicitly as a latent method (or as something).
> 
> What is the name of this technique and the name of methods 
> (or variables ?) so constructed ?

Hm. Maybe I'm missing something here... But if this question is as
basic as I think, then maybe this will be an adequate answer:

The construction you are referring to is a "member reference". In the
example above, you refer to the member variable "bar" of the object
"bar". In cases in which the member is a function (of - actually, a
method) which is called in the reference, it is called a "method
call", as in:

  foo.bar()

You might want to look into how object-oriented programming works in
general to further appreciate the meaning of this.

> 
> squid.
> 

--

  Magnus              Making no sound / Yet smouldering with passion
  Lie          The firefly is still sadder / Than the moaning insect
  Hetland                                       : Minamoto Shigeyuki