middleclass/README.textile

h1. MiddleClass

Lua OOP classes usually end being:
* multi-file libraries, too difficult to understand
* very small libraries, not very powerful

Middleclass attemps to be a mid-sized library (~120 lines of code, on a single file), with clean, easy to understand code, and yet powerful enough to be used in most cases.

h1. Documentation

See the "LÖVE wiki page":http://love2d.org/wiki/MiddleClass for examples & documentation.

h1. Features
  * ~100 lines of code
  * top-level Object class
  * all methods are virtual
  * instance.class returns the instance's class
  * @Class.name@ returns the class name (a string)
  * @Class.superclass@ returns its super class
  * Subclassing:
  ** @class(name)@ creates a subclass of @Object@
  ** @class(name, Superclass)@ creates a subclass of the class @SuperClass@
  ** @SuperClass:subclass(name)@ also creates a subclass of the class @SuperClass@
  * Instantiation:
  ** Classes can define an @initialize@ method for initializing new instances. They can accept an arbitrary number of params.
  ** Instances are created by doing @Class:new(params)@ or also @Class(params)@
  ** It is recommended to use the @super@ facility inside all defined initializers: @super.initialize(self, params)@.
  * support for Lua metamethods: just define a method called @__tostring@, @__add@, etc. and your instances will be able to use it.
  * Mixins:
  ** A very simple mechanism for sharing functionality among a group of classes that are otherwise non-related.
  ** Mixins are just simple lua tables with functions inside them.
  ** @Class:include(mixin)@ will copy the function definitions of @mixin@ to @class@
  ** If @mixin@ contains a function, called @included@, that function will be invoked right after the functions have been copied. It allows for modifying the class more profoundly.
  * The function @instanceOf(class, instance)@ returns @true@ if @instance@ is an instance of the class @Class@
  * The function @subclassOf(Superclass, Class)@ returns @true@ if @Class@ is a subclass of @SuperClass@
  * The function @includes(mixin, Class)@ returns @true@ if @Class@ (or one of its superclasses) includes @mixin@.
  * The @super@ facility, can be used inside a method to call the same method as it's implemented by the superclass: @super.methodName(self, params)@

Features left out:
  * metaclasses
  * classes are not Objects (instances are)
  
h1. Extras

This library has a companion lib that adds a lot of interesting functionality to your objects. Give it a look at "middleclass-extras":https://github.com/kikito/middleclass-extras

If you are looking for @MindState@ (now called @Stateful@), it's over there, too.

h1. Specs

You may find the specs for this library in "middleclass-specs":https://github.com/kikito/middleclass-specs