Looking into Image locking problems [1] caused by a recursive array such as this...
�� �� literalArray := #( 1 2 3 ).
�� �� literalArray at: 3 put: literalArray.
I find that "literalArray printString" locks the image due to Array>>printOn: use of the recursive #shouldBePrintedAsLiteral method. Now its implementation is identical to #isLiteral and indeed "literalArray isLiteral" also locks the Image. So comparing implementors of #isLiteral... ��
�� Object>>isLiteral �� ^false
�� Boolean>>isLiteral ^true
�� Character>>isLiteral ^true
�� Integer>>isLiteral ^true
�� String>>isLiteral ^true
�� UndefinedObject>>isLiteral ^true
�� ByteArray>>isLiteral ^self class == ByteArray
�� Float>>isLiteral ^self isFinite "^(self - self) = 0.0"
�� ScaledDecimal>>isLiteral ^denominator = 1 or: [(10 raisedTo: scale)\\denominator = 0]
�� Array>>isLiteral ^self class == Array and: [self allSatisfy: [:each | each isLiteral]]
...I find most are very basic (might even say deterministic), with the recursion of Array>>isLiteral seeming an annomaly.�� Also, the big IF condition in Array>>printOn: smells like a design decision being made at runtime (Valloud AMCOS p12). ��
�� �� Array>>printOn: aStream
self shouldBePrintedAsLiteral ifTrue: [self printAsLiteralFormOn: aStream. ^ self].
self isSelfEvaluating ifTrue: [self printAsSelfEvaluatingFormOn: aStream. ^ self].
super printOn: aStream
Flipping between two printString formats seems like selecting between two class types. Indeed, if we had a LiteralArray class, there would be no need for its printOn: to recursively search to determine its form, thus allowing #printStringLimitedTo: to do its thing to protect against infinite recursion.
Also, instead of a recursive Array>>isLiteral we'd have something like
�� LiteralArray>>isLiteral ^true
�� Array>>isLiteral ^false
which seems to align much better with the pattern of the other #isLiteral implementors.
I notice there is both RBArrayNode and RBLiteralArrayNode.
So what are the wider concerns that might apply?
(In particular, I'm not sure how the #isSelfEvaluating (which is also recursive) fits into the big picture)
cheers -ben