Past simple or past participle?

Question

Hello,In this sentence consider the word defined. In what tense is it? Past simple or past participle please?If X is a type that uses the function exactly as device defined it,......

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

It appears to be a past simple form, but 'as device defined it' makes no sense to me.

Khoshtip · Answer

Yes, you are right, I'd think so. But it is in one of the most famous books of Programming. You can take look at it here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=We21AwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&dq=programming%20principle%20and%20practice&pg=PA507#v=onepage&q&f=true

AlpheccaStars · Answer

I cannot find the sentence in your reference, but "Device" probably is the name of a class, not the normal dictionary use of the word.

In regular verbs, such as define, the simple past and the past participle are exactly the same.

Khoshtip · Answer

Please read line 7 of page 507 from up, where sentence starts with "If x is a type...".
I replaced the words open-polyline, vtbl and so on to avoid confusing you by those not-commonly-meaningful words

And yes. The shape of regular verbs like define for past simple and past participle is the same but I asked which one is it? I thought since it doesn't have the word has before the word defined so it should be past simple but just like "fivejedjon" it didn't make sense to me!

AlpheccaStars · Answer

You did not quote it correctly. Here is the sentence as it is exactly in the text:

If x is of a type, say Open_polyline, that uses the vtbl exactly as Shape defined it, Shape::drawlines() will be called.

If you declare a variable, say x as belonging to a class, then it acquires the functions and variables (attributes) of the class.
The class Shape defines virtual functions, and attributes. The class Shape has already been defined by a programmer, perhaps in a class library.

The author is using class names as if they were active entities. The verb "defined" is simple past tense. This style of writing is common in object-oriented programming.

Khoshtip · Answer

OK & thank you.

Past simple or past participle?

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