Thomas Lumley • 6/7/2023

Blank-cheque inheritance and statistical methods objects

The article analyzes a fundamental issue in object-oriented programming for statistical software: inheritance hierarchies are often backwards for statistical methods. Using R's linear model (lm) and generalized linear model (glm) classes as a key example, it explains how glm inherits from lm, causing inappropriate inherited methods like plot.lm. It explores the unsustainability of this design, the challenges of dynamic package loading, and the lack of a central object hierarchy registry, concluding by acknowledging the problem without a definitive solution.

0 comments

#Inheritance #R #Object Oriented Design