[Oberon] Windows Kill vs Oberon Free (was: Oberon for a C++ user)

[Chris Burrows]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Oberon [mailto:oberon-bounces at lists.inf.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of
> Skulski, Wojciech
> Sent: Saturday, 8 October 2016 3:47 AM
> To: ETH Oberon and related systems
> Subject: Re: [Oberon] Oberon for a C++ user.
> 
> The only practical difference between the Oberon System and other
> OS's is that unloading the Oberon application happens on demand.
> Otherwise it is just the same. Under Windows/Linux, the user clicks
> the "Exit" button and the app gets unloaded. Under Oberon, the user
> clicks on System.Free. 

I have been total mystified this last week observing this discussion. Now I
understand the misconception! 

Clicking on System.Free on an arbitrary module in Oberon is like opening
Task Manager in Windows and killing an arbitrary process. I would no more
consider attempting to do that than I would:

* attempt to unload a module in Oberon that I was not in the process of
developing myself
* try to shoot myself in the foot
* try to saw through a branch that I was sitting on

However, in all of these cases I do not expect or want safeguards getting in
my way just in case I have a real good reason to 'do something stupid'

Regards,
Chris Burrows

CFB Software
http://www.astrobe.com/RISC5