Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- components:atom [2014/08/19 10:26] – ackley
+++ components:atom [2014/08/21 15:14] (current) – ackley
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ===== Atom =====
-The //**Atom**// is a basic component of the Movable Feast Machine. Each [[components:site]] is occupied by exactly one atom at all times (assuming we consider [[components:empty]] as a special-case of at Atom). An Atom is an instance of an [[components:element]]. An atom normally has a small amount of local storage (declared by the [[components:element]] it is instantiating) which may be modified during an [[components:event]] which is in range.
+An //**Atom**// is the fundamental representation of **state** in the Movable Feast Machine, in some ways analogous to an //object// in an object-oriented language.  Each [[components:site]] is occupied by exactly one atom at all times (because even [[components:empty]] is considered a kind of Atom).  An Atom has a [[components:type]] number that links it to the [[components:element]] of which it is an instance.  In addition to its type number, each an Atom possesses a very small amount of mutable storage (on the order of a few dozens of bits perhaps) which may be defined as desired by the [[components:element]] and modified during an [[components:event]].