[Oberon] Oberon for a C++ user.

[Skulski, Wojciech]

>I thought, that module unloading is a job of the garbage collector, when memory becomes scarce, correct?

No. It is a job of the developer when the code was changed and it needs to be tested. The old module has to be tossed away before the new code can be loaded.

Practically speaking, the main asset of a module is its code. The module's variables are the interface to the code. The variables are the necessary evil, while the code is the essence. The code should never be tossed away by the GC because it may be needed for a human being. The operator of the Oberon System can type the Mod.Proc at any time and click on it. The GC cannot know the operator's intent in advance, so the GC cannot base its decision on the absence of Mod.Proc anywhere on screen. The Mod.Proc can appear at any time.

W.