Index: TODO
===================================================================
diff -u -r89714df5a6af5799a4444805cf1f82b4b2b21af2 -r8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c
--- TODO	(.../TODO)	(revision 89714df5a6af5799a4444805cf1f82b4b2b21af2)
+++ TODO	(.../TODO)	(revision 8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c)
@@ -3437,13 +3437,20 @@
   * added "private" to migration guide
   * some textual improvements in migration guide
 
+ - nx: 
+  * added namespace "nx::internal"
+  * delete procs via "rename to emtpy" instead of 
+    "defining procs with empty argumentes and body"
+  * provided "-properties" as a replacement for -attributes, 
+    but without magic variable
+  * extended regression test
+
 TODO:
  - private: 
    * document private in tutorial
 
- - nx: 
-   * maybe provide a replacement for -attributes, but without the magic variable.
 
+
  - naming of slot classes 
    * should we switch from "-class" to "-slotclass"?
 
Index: library/nx/nx.tcl
===================================================================
diff -u -r8046b1da6bc0689f73d4dbdc3f8d1e03fd23acaf -r8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c
--- library/nx/nx.tcl	(.../nx.tcl)	(revision 8046b1da6bc0689f73d4dbdc3f8d1e03fd23acaf)
+++ library/nx/nx.tcl	(.../nx.tcl)	(revision 8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c)
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 namespace eval ::nx {
   namespace eval ::nsf {}; # make pkg indexer happy
   namespace eval ::nsf::object {}; # make pkg indexer happy
+  namespace eval ::nx::internal {}; # make pkg indexer happy
 
   #
   # By setting the variable bootstrap, we can check later, whether we
@@ -416,10 +417,10 @@
   }
 
   #
-  # The function nx::setSlotContainerProperties set the method
+  # The function nx::internal::setSlotContainerProperties set the method
   # properties for slot containers
   #
-  proc ::nx::setSlotContainerProperties {baseObject containerName} {
+  proc ::nx::internal::setSlotContainerProperties {baseObject containerName} {
     set slotContainer ${baseObject}::$containerName
     $slotContainer ::nsf::methods::object::requirenamespace
     ::nsf::method::property $baseObject -per-object $containerName call-protected true
@@ -434,12 +435,12 @@
   # slotContainer (when no slot name was provided) or the fully
   # qualified name of the slot object.
   #
-  nsf::proc ::nx::slotObj {{-container slot} baseObject name:optional} {
+  ::nsf::proc ::nx::slotObj {{-container slot} baseObject name:optional} {
     # Create slot container object if needed
     set slotContainer ${baseObject}::$container
     if {![::nsf::object::exists $slotContainer]} {
       ::nx::Object ::nsf::methods::class::alloc $slotContainer
-      ::nx::setSlotContainerProperties $baseObject $container
+      ::nx::internal::setSlotContainerProperties $baseObject $container
     }
     if {[info exists name]} {
       return ${slotContainer}::$name
@@ -703,7 +704,7 @@
   # Define "info info" and "info unknown"
   ######################################################################
   
-  proc ::nx::infoOptions {obj} {
+  proc ::nx::internal::infoOptions {obj} {
     #puts stderr "INFO INFO $obj -> '[::nsf::directdispatch $obj ::nsf::methods::object::info::methods -methodtype all]'"
     set methods [list]
     foreach name [::nsf::directdispatch $obj ::nsf::methods::object::info::methods] {
@@ -717,8 +718,8 @@
     error "[::nsf::self] unknown info option \"$method\"; [$obj info info]"
   }
 
-  Object method "info info" {} {::nx::infoOptions ::nx::Object::slot::__info}
-  Class  method "info info" {} {::nx::infoOptions ::nx::Class::slot::__info}
+  Object method "info info" {} {::nx::internal::infoOptions ::nx::Object::slot::__info}
+  Class  method "info info" {} {::nx::internal::infoOptions ::nx::Class::slot::__info}
   
   # finally register method "method" (otherwise, we cannot use "method" above)
   Object alias "info method" ::nsf::methods::object::info::method
@@ -926,8 +927,9 @@
   # value checkers
   MethodParameterSlot create ::nx::methodParameterSlot
   
-  # use low level interface for defining slot values. Normally, this is
-  # done via slot objects, which are defined later.
+  # Define a temporary, low level interface for defining slot
+  # values. Normally, this is done via slot objects, which are defined
+  # later. The proc is removed later in this script.
 
   proc createBootstrapVariableSlots {class definitions} {
     foreach att $definitions {
@@ -1318,6 +1320,9 @@
   # Register system slots
   ######################################################################
 
+  # Define a temporary, low level interface for defining system slots.
+  # The proc is removed later in this script.
+
   proc register_system_slots {os} {
     #
     # Most system slots are RelationSlots
@@ -1342,9 +1347,8 @@
 	-methodname "::nsf::classes::nx::Object::filter" -elementtype filterreg
 
     #
-    # Create object parameter slots for "attributes", "noninit" and "volatile"
+    # Create object parameter slots for "noninit" and "volatile"
     #
-    #::nx::ObjectParameterSlot create ${os}::Class::slot::attributes
     ::nx::ObjectParameterSlot create ${os}::Object::slot::noinit \
 	-methodname ::nsf::methods::object::noinit -noarg true
     ::nx::ObjectParameterSlot create ${os}::Object::slot::volatile -noarg true
@@ -1423,7 +1427,9 @@
 
 
   register_system_slots ::nx
-  proc ::nx::register_system_slots {} {}
+
+  # remove helper proc
+  rename register_system_slots ""
   
   #
   # With a special purpose eval, we could avoid the need for
@@ -1822,27 +1828,16 @@
 
 
   ######################################################################
-  # Define method "attributes" for convenience to define multiple
-  # attributes based on a list of parameter specifications.
+  # Define method "properties" for convenience to define multiple
+  # properties based on a list of parameter specifications.
   ######################################################################
 
-  # Class public method attributes arglist {
-  #   set slotContainer [::nx::slotObj [::nsf::self]]
-  #   foreach arg $arglist {
-  #     [self] ::nsf::classes::nx::Class::property $arg
-  #   }
-  #   ::nsf::var::set $slotContainer __parameter $arglist
-  # }
+  proc ::nx::internal::addProperties {arglist} {
+    foreach arg $arglist {:property $arg}
+  }
+  ::nx::ObjectParameterSlot create ::nx::Class::slot::properties \
+      -methodname "::nx::internal::addProperties"
 
-  # Class method "info attributes" {} {
-  #   set slotContainer [::nx::slotObj [::nsf::self]]
-  #   if {[::nsf::var::exists $slotContainer __parameter]} {
-  #     return [::nsf::var::set $slotContainer __parameter]
-  #   }
-  #   return ""
-  # }
-
-  
   ######################################################################
   # Minimal definition of a value checker that permits every value
   # without warnings. The primary purpose of this value checker is to
@@ -1859,9 +1854,8 @@
   ######################################################################
 
   # remove helper proc
-  proc createBootstrapVariableSlots {} {}
+  rename ::nx::createBootstrapVariableSlots ""
 
-
   ######################################################################
   # Create a mixin class to overload method "new" such it does not
   # allocate new objects in ::nx::*, but in the specified object
@@ -2030,7 +2024,7 @@
 	if {[::nsf::object::exists $base] 
 	    && [::nsf::method::property $base -per-object $container slotcontainer]
 	  } {
-	  ::nx::setSlotContainerProperties [$dest ::nsf::methods::object::info::parent] $container
+	  ::nx::internal::setSlotContainerProperties [$dest ::nsf::methods::object::info::parent] $container
 	}
 
 	#
Index: library/xotcl/library/xotcl2.tcl
===================================================================
diff -u -r8046b1da6bc0689f73d4dbdc3f8d1e03fd23acaf -r8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c
--- library/xotcl/library/xotcl2.tcl	(.../xotcl2.tcl)	(revision 8046b1da6bc0689f73d4dbdc3f8d1e03fd23acaf)
+++ library/xotcl/library/xotcl2.tcl	(.../xotcl2.tcl)	(revision 8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c)
@@ -430,7 +430,8 @@
 	-elementtype filterreg -multiplicity 0..n
   }
   register_system_slots ::xotcl
-  proc ::xotcl::register_system_slots {} {}
+  # remove temporary proc
+  rename register_system_slots ""
 
   ########################
   # Info definition
@@ -741,8 +742,8 @@
   }
 
   # define "info info"
-  objectInfo method info {} {::nx::infoOptions ::xotcl::objectInfo}
-  classInfo  method info {} {::nx::infoOptions ::xotcl::classInfo}
+  objectInfo method info {} {::nx::internal::infoOptions ::xotcl::objectInfo}
+  classInfo  method info {} {::nx::internal::infoOptions ::xotcl::classInfo}
 
   # define "info unknown"
   objectInfo proc unknown {method args} {
Index: tests/info-method.test
===================================================================
diff -u -rac96e6ce975fe5864b64dee9d66bc701a31e113b -r8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c
--- tests/info-method.test	(.../info-method.test)	(revision ac96e6ce975fe5864b64dee9d66bc701a31e113b)
+++ tests/info-method.test	(.../info-method.test)	(revision 8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c)
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@
     :method "sub foo" args {;}
   }
 
-  ? {D info lookup slots} "::D::per-object-slot::a2 ::nx::Class::slot::superclass ::nx::Class::slot::object-mixin ::nx::Class::slot::mixin ::nx::Class::slot::object-filter ::nx::Class::slot::filter ::nx::Object::slot::volatile ::nx::Object::slot::noinit ::nx::Object::slot::__initcmd ::nx::Object::slot::class"
+  ? {D info lookup slots} "::D::per-object-slot::a2 ::nx::Class::slot::properties ::nx::Class::slot::superclass ::nx::Class::slot::object-mixin ::nx::Class::slot::mixin ::nx::Class::slot::object-filter ::nx::Class::slot::filter ::nx::Object::slot::volatile ::nx::Object::slot::noinit ::nx::Object::slot::__initcmd ::nx::Object::slot::class"
 
   C create c1
   ? {c1 info precedence} "::C ::nx::Object"
Index: tests/parameters.test
===================================================================
diff -u -r042715c36e6ca53a9712922a03de958476258e02 -r8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c
--- tests/parameters.test	(.../parameters.test)	(revision 042715c36e6ca53a9712922a03de958476258e02)
+++ tests/parameters.test	(.../parameters.test)	(revision 8c3c5565c2904e379350494cd40675d1aad6a46c)
@@ -1199,16 +1199,6 @@
   ? {c1 a 1} 1
   ? {c1 b 1} 1
   ? {c1 c 1} 1
-
-  # before: 1st case: setter, 2&3: forward
-  #slot-optimizer.001:	  1.50 mms, c1 a 1
-  #slot-optimizer.002:	  3.30 mms, c1 b 1
-  #slot-optimizer.003:	  3.40 mms, c1 c 1
-  #
-  # after: 1st, 2nd, 3rd case: setter 
-  #slot-optimizer.001:	  1.50 mms, c1 a 1
-  #slot-optimizer.002:	  1.50 mms, c1 b 1
-  #slot-optimizer.003:	  1.60 mms, c1 c 1
 }
 
 Test parameter count 10
@@ -2238,4 +2228,38 @@
   ? {o2 info slot definition} "{p0:noconfig 200} {p1:noaccessor,noconfig 201} {p2:noaccessor,noconfig 202} {p3:noconfig 203}"
   ? {o2 info properties} "{p0:noconfig 200} {p1:noaccessor,noconfig 201} {p2:noaccessor,noconfig 202} {p3:noconfig 203}"
 
+}
+
+#
+# testing method properties
+#
+nx::Test case properties {
+
+  # simple properties
+  Class create Foo -properties {a {b 1}}
+  
+  ? {Foo info properties} "a {b 1}"
+
+  # properties with value checker
+  Class create Foo -properties {
+    a:boolean
+    {b:integer 1}
+  }
+  ? {Foo info properties} "a:boolean {b:integer 1}"
+
+  # required/optional properties
+  Class create Foo -properties {
+    a:required
+    b:boolean,required
+  }  
+  ? {Foo info properties} "a:required b:boolean,required"
+
+  # properties with multiplicity
+  Class create Foo -properties {
+    {ints:integer,0..n ""}
+    objs:object,1..n
+    obj:object,0..1
+  }
+  ? {Foo info properties} "objs:object,1..n {ints:integer,0..n {}} obj:object,0..1"
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file