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> the SmallTalk / Obj-C thing where you could send messages to nil and they're silently ignored.

Messages sent to the Smalltalk UndefinedObject instance are not silently ignored — #doesNotUnderstand.

Sometimes that run time message lookup has been used to extend behavior —

1986 "Encapsulators: A New Software Paradigm in Smalltalk-80"

https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/28697.28731



For example, send #class to nil

    nil class UndefinedObject
For example, send #iainmerrick to nil

    nil iainmerrick

    Object>>doesNotUnderstand:
    UndefinedObject>>{unbound}doIt




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