Enhancement for multiple-inheritance

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Abstract
Many object-oriented computing languages allow the user to create multiple-inheritance class hierarchies. One use of such inheritance schemes is the packaging of sets of operations in classes that can be mixed into other, usually larger, classes. These rnixins allow the creation of new subclasses which contain added functionality. Although this approach is used quite Frequently, it can create serious problems within the class hierarchy. We propose that in many systems these problems are caused by an improper conceptualization of the role of mixins. Rather than affecting the class of an object, they might be more properly seen as adding functionality to instances of this class. In this paper we first describe problems caused by the present approach and then show how these are more appropriately dealt with by using an “enhancement” technique-the adding of mixins to instances.

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