[Baypiggies] Class methods as constructors?

[Aahz]

On Tue, Sep 02, 2008, Charles Merriam wrote:
> 
> I have a spot where I need a number of constructors for the same class
> and don't want to have too complicated an __init__ function.   Using
> class methods seems like the cleanest code.
> 
> x = Spam()   # Simple case
> x = Spam.Pickled_Loaf(['Pimentos','Menthos'])
> x = Spam.Shake('chunky')
> 
> with code in the Spam class like:
> 
> @classmethod
> def Picked_Loaf(additives, extra_gelatin = False):
>      assert not ('Menthos' in additives and 'Diet Coke' in additives)
>      i = Spam()  # make an instance
>      i.additives = additives
>      i.add_to_production_queue(Process.chopping)
>      return i

You probably don't want to use assert -- that gets optimized away with
.pyo files.

Overall, I personally would be more inclined to use a factory function
or a slightly more complicated __init__ that dispatches, but there's
nothing wrong with what you're doing.
-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

Adopt A Process -- stop killing all your children!