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On 27/06/2011 20:22, R. David Murray wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:20110627192217.66A3F2505A3@webabinitio.net"
type="cite">[snip...]<br>
<pre wrap="">So, the correct generic term for something that can be accessed
via attribute notation is attribute. The more specific term for an
attribute that is a method is method. We don't currently have a more
specific collective term for attributes that aren't methods. *That*
is the problem.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
I think part of the problem is also that *some* people's usage of
the term doesn't match the precise terminology.<br>
<br>
It sounds like if I say "an object's attributes" some of us will
expect that to include the methods and some of us not. I'd say
anecdotally that when people talk about object attributes
collectively they are *not* including methods. When they talk about
attribute lookup that rightly includes everything.<br>
<br>
We do have other terms: instance attributes (which do not include
methods) and class attributes (which technically do - but is also
used to indicate attributes set on the class rather than the
instance but not including methods [1]). <br>
<br>
A precise term to describe "attributes that are not methods" would
still be helpful. I guess the closest we have is "non-descriptors",
but that requires a knowledge of the descriptor protocol for it to
be useful.<br>
<br>
Making-things-worse-and-not-better'ly yours,<br>
<br>
Michael<br>
<br>
[1] I'm talking about *usage* of the term here... I guess usage is
inconsistent anyway, sometimes people will mean to include methods
and sometimes not.<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:20110627192217.66A3F2505A3@webabinitio.net"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">
--
R. David Murray <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.bitdance.com">http://www.bitdance.com</a>
[*] it also seems to me that the object model is, in many ways, *part*
of the API, in the sense that the API is how you access the object model,
and so understanding the object model is, if not essentially, then at
least very helpful.
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<pre wrap="">
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</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.voidspace.org.uk/">http://www.voidspace.org.uk/</a>
May you do good and not evil
May you find forgiveness for yourself and forgive others
May you share freely, never taking more than you give.
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