While we, well I, tend to use Perl's language level class-based OO, it's possible to do prototype-bassed OO. You can use Class::Prototyped, Class::Classless, other modules or even write your own basic system. What I've been meditating on is:

When is prototype OO to be prefered?

I've only used prototypes in a configuration framework to permit overrideable defaults and per-object methods. Also, I've done a little JavaScript. So I'm far from an expert.

Are there particular domains or problems best approached using prototypes?
Is there a "code smell" the suggests it's time to move to prototypes?
Are there design problems that prototype-OO can induce?
What are the tradeoffs?

Here's my list, but I'm pulling them out of thin air:

Advantages to proto-OO:

• More flexibility, particularly at run time
• Open framework concentrating on interfaces
• Unifies instance attributes and methods (often the case)

Disadvantages:

• Slower (I have no benchmarks though)
• Action at a distance if you change a property of a parent object (read-only objects are ok)
• More prone to dynamic spaghetti dependence (tm)
• Multiple inheritence seems difficult

Of course, with Perl you can use both approaches within the same application. The question is when?

Brad

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