[Python-Dev] Why are contexts also managers? (was r45544 - peps/trunk/pep-0343.txt)

[Phillip J. Eby]

At 04:18 PM 4/18/2006 -0400, A.M. Kuchling wrote:
>On Tue, Apr 18, 2006 at 08:55:18PM +0200, phillip.eby wrote:
> > Modified:
> >    peps/trunk/pep-0343.txt
> >
> > +    "context manager" then encompasses all objects with a __context__()
> > +    method that returns a context object.  (This means that all contexts
> > +    are context managers, but not all context managers are contexts).
>
>This change reminds of another question I had about the parenthetical
>statement: all contexts are context managers (= 'has a __context__'
>method).  Why?  The context object isn't necessarily available to the
>Python programmer, so they can't write:
>
>with context_mgr as context:
>      with context:  # uses the same context
>          ...
>
>Why do contexts need to have a __context__() method?

I was going to say, "so they can be context managers", but I suppose you 
have a point.  There is no need for a context to have a __context__ method, 
unless it is also a context manager.  Ugh.