[Phillip J. Eby]
with context_expression as variable: # perform actions within a context
The "with" statement establishes a context in which some operations
are to
be performed. Often, this is a resource management context, wherein some resource is allocated when the context is entered, and when it is exited. Or it may be a locking context, where a lock is acquired and released around the statements. Or it may be a computational context, such as a Decimal context that controls the precision of decimal calculations. In fact, it may be any context that can be defined in terms of behavior to be performed when the context is entered and exited.
The object produced by 'context_expression' must have __enter_context__ and __exit_context__ methods, which will be invoked by the "with" statement when the context is entered, and when it is exited for any reason (such as by an exception, "return" statement, or other control flow statements).
This is much improved. I think we're getting close. So far, I like Nick's most recent version the best, but this is in the ballpark. The new methods names are a step in the right direction but they are butt-ugly and unfriendly. It is much cleaner looking and equally communicative to write __beginwith__ and __endwith__. Those names are clearly bookends and associated with with-suites. They are shorter, more pithy, and don't abuse underscore conventions (the current worst offenders are test___all__.py and the set module's __as_temporarily_immutable__ attribute which gives me COBOL flashbacks). [Nick Coghlan]
Based on the various discussions, the following suggests the term "suite managers". That focuses on the fact that we're doing something before and after the contained suite.
The fact that they bracket a single suite seems to be the only thing the assorted uses really have in common, and emphasising that seems to work well. It's certainly the first case where I've been able to easily explain what decimal.Context does (or will do) when used in a 'with' statement.
I think you're onto something. Stick with it. Your whole write-up is clear. It is the first one that doesn't look like it had to twist its metaphor into a knot. Raymond