[IronPython] Events and the += operator

[Jonathan Jacobs]

Hi,

(I did a couple of searches on the archives and checked the bug tracker 
but still found nothing directly relating to this. Hopefully I didn't 
miss anything.)

I'm having a problem trying to attach an event handler to 
System.Windows.Forms.Application.Idle:

 >>> System.Windows.Forms.Application.Idle
<event# Idle on Application>
 >>> def _(sender, e):
...   print 'Zzzz'
...
 >>> System.Windows.Forms.Application.Idle += _
Traceback (most recent call last):
    at <shell>
TypeError: can't set attributes of built-in/extension type 
'System.Windows.Forms.Application'

At first glance, it looks like this didn't work. However, creating a 
Form object and passing it to Application.Run does indeed print 'Zzzz' 
when idle.

Stepping through the code indicates that InPlaceAdd mimics the C# += 
syntax for events (ie. attaches the event handler) and that 
AugAssignStmt always emits a "set", which correlates with CPython's 
behaviour as seen below (I'm not sure whether this is part of the Python 
specification or not, anyway):

 >>> l = ([], [])
 >>> l[0] += [1, 2]
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "<stdin>", line 1, in ?
TypeError: object does not support item assignment

It would seem that IronPython needs a more Pythonic (or less C#ish, if 
you prefer) way of doing this.

In the meanwhile, one can get around it by either doing:

 >>> Application.Idle.__iadd__(_)

   or

 >>> try:
 >>>   Application.Idle += _
 >>> except TypeError:
 >>>   pass

Regards
--
Jonathan

When you meet a master swordsman,
show him your sword.
When you meet a man who is not a poet,
do not show him your poem.
                 -- Rinzai, ninth century Zen master