Re: using axiom.dependency for powerups in queries

On 12:46 pm, [email protected] wrote:
>I think the main uses of powerups are where the powerup interface is =

>the
>primary concern; either for adaptation of an item, or because you have
>multiple items of different types, but providing the same interface, =

>and
>you want to treat them as a group.

This is worth emphasizing.  Powerups are a type of polymorphism.  You =

pay a price for using them; they make your data model more difficult to =

optimize, and bind it more tightly to your code.  This can be extremely =

powerful and simple, even graceful, when you need it, but can introduce =

a lot of unnecessary complexity when you don't.

A good rule when you're trying to decide whether to make something a =

powerup is, "Is this powerup a point of integration with another =

system?"  If the answer to this question is "no" then you should almost =

certainly be using something else.  For example, cred =

(axiomatic.userbase) integrates with arbitrary other systems by using =

powerups.  Mantissa loads external plugins for things like the Organizer =

using powerups.

In other words, if you *can* use regular references and queries to =

implement what you want, then you probably should.  Powerups are for =

when you need more.