Defining and Using External Dictionary Methods

When a method with a KeyType formal parameter is an external method, the Jade compiler generates a fixed actual parameter list for the call. The transient DynaDictionary class encapsulates the behavior required to access entries in member key dictionary subclasses; that is, in dictionaries in which the keys are properties in the member objects. In addition, the DynaDictionary class enables you to defer the specification of the membership and keys until run time.

Dynamic dictionaries are useful in applications with requirements for:

• Ad hoc queries or collection-based sorts without the overhead of maintaining multiple persistent dictionaries

• Intensive collation or collection-based sorting

For examples, see "Using Dynamic Dictionaries", in Volume 1 of the Encyclopaedia of Classes. See also "Using Generic Jade Dictionary Methods" and "Variable Parameter List Considerations", elsewhere in this chapter.