-----------------------------------------------------
---- SETCLASS CLONES THE BASIC OBJECT CLASS TO CREATE NEW CLASSES
-----------------------------------------------------
-- Supports INHERITANCE
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- EVERYTHING INHERITS FROM THIS BASIC OBJECT CLASS

BaseObject = {
  super   = nil,
  name    = "Object",
  new     =
  function(class)
    local obj  = {class = class}
    local meta = {
      __index = function(self,key) return class.methods[key] end
    }
    setmetatable(obj,meta)
    return obj
  end,
  methods = {classname = function(self) return(self.class.name) end},
  data    = {}
}

function setclass(name, super)
  if (super == nil) then
    super = BaseObject
  end

  local class = {
    super = super;
    name  = name;
    new   =
    function(self, ...)
      local arg = {...}
      local obj = super.new(self, "___CREATE_ONLY___");
      -- check if calling function init
      -- pass arguments into init function
      if (super.methods.init) then
        obj.init_super = super.methods.init
      end

      if (self.methods.init) then
        if (tostring(arg[1]) ~= "___CREATE_ONLY___") then
          obj.init = self.methods.init
          if obj.init then
            obj:init(unpack(arg))
          end
        end
      end

      return obj
    end,
    methods = {}
  }

  -- if class slot unavailable, check super class
  -- if applied to argument, pass it to the class method new
  setmetatable(class, {
    __index = function(self,key) return self.super[key] end,
    __call  = function(self,...)
      local arg = {...}
      return self.new(self,unpack(arg))
    end
  })

  -- if instance method unavailable, check method slot in super class
  setmetatable(class.methods, {
    __index = function(self,key) return class.super.methods[key] end
  })
  return class
end