[CCC DEV] Interfaces within "Plumbing"

[Matt Jadud]

On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 15:20, Christian Jacobsen <cljacobsen at gmail.com> wrote:
> CHAN BOOL b:
> ...
> BOOL dummy:
> b ? dummy

Agreed. This pattern, specifically, is what we wanted to avoid when we
introduced the SIGNAL channel type. We wanted a valueless mechanism
for communicating between two processes. My biggest complaint
surrounded code where the BOOL channel was being used as a SIGNAL, but
the reader might wonder what the meaning of the TRUE/FALSE was in a
given context. The SIGNAL clearly says that there is no logical
meaning other than the use of the communication as a synchronization
event.

> This is the pattern we are trying to avoid with the signal type... Perhaps it introduces other problems, as you mention, which we will have to look at. Or perhaps the use of SIGNAL is just not appropriate in plumbing.

I thought we used it in appropriate places. However, we mix LEVEL and
SIGNAL in the libraries in a way that choosing one (eg. just LEVEL)
might make more sense? Again, I haven't yet had time to do this
analysis.

Cheers,
M