[fpc-pascal] dot within unit file name

[Matt Emson]

Marco van de Voort wrote:
> However again, as far as I understand partial classes (Class
> Helpers in Delphi.NET), for this you need a registration system again because you need
> to compile all units that might use class X so that they auto import all
> units with classhelpers for unit X. (or you have to scan all directories
> on each compiler start, and must make 100% sure that you don't use units
> that don't have these class helpers added.
>   
Not really. In practice, you can compile a partial class without all of 
its parts and use it just fine. In the real world, this is extremely 
useful in sharing an engine between GUI systems (or a web application 
and a Console application) without pulling in specifics for the role 
implemented (GUI kits etc). It allows for a modular design (extensions 
at compile time.) It allows the programmer to create a flatter less 
complex hierarchy - e.g MVC in a single class, but with clear separation 
of responsibility.

In C#, Vs2005 always buts all of the GUI generation code in to a partial 
class called XXX.Designer.cs. This is an extreme improvement over the 
Pascal way.

An extention to this would be partial units (just invented this) which 
would allow the removal of the include files that dog FPC's RTL and 
support libs. All specific files could be organised in such a way that 
the include path found only the correct unit parts.

Yes, this is all a pipe dream, but dreaming is fun sometimes ;-)

M