Re: [WebIDL] Would it make sense to add annotations for "creates a new object each time" and "always returns the same object"?

• From: Boris Zbarsky <bzbarsky@MIT.EDU>
• Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:08:47 -0400
• To: Ojan Vafai <ojan@google.com>
• CC: Glenn Adams <glenn@skynav.com>, "public-script-coord@w3.org" <public-script-coord@w3.org>
• Message-ID: <50860A3F.3040808@mit.edu>

On 10/22/12 9:24 PM, Ojan Vafai wrote:
> Obviously, there's nothing we can do about legacy APIs, so it might
> still make sense to add the annotation even if we decide that methods
> should always return a new object.

Having methods always return a new object is silly, imo.  Consider a 
method like getElementById.  How would it make any sense for it to 
always return a new object?

The whole problem with methods is that whether they return new objects 
or existing objects needs to be carefully considered when defining the 
method.  It's obvious in some cases (getElementById, createElement), but 
not at all in others....

-Boris

Received on Tuesday, 23 October 2012 03:09:16 UTC