[Python-checkins] CVS: python/dist/src/Misc NEWS,1.254,1.255

[Guido van Rossum]

Update of /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Misc
In directory usw-pr-cvs1:/tmp/cvs-serv12731

Modified Files:
	NEWS 
Log Message:
Separate out the type/class-related news and reword some items.

Add news items about comparisons, repr(), __class__ assignment.


Index: NEWS
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Misc/NEWS,v
retrieving revision 1.254
retrieving revision 1.255
diff -C2 -d -r1.254 -r1.255
*** NEWS	2001/09/24 21:17:50	1.254
--- NEWS	2001/09/25 04:15:41	1.255
***************
*** 2,6 ****
  ===========================
  
! Core
  
  - property() now takes 4 keyword arguments:  fget, fset, fdel and doc.
--- 2,18 ----
  ===========================
  
! Type/class unification and new-style classes
! 
! - pydoc and inspect are now aware of new-style classes;
!   e.g. help(list) at the interactive prompt now shows proper
!   documentation for all operations on list objects.
! 
! - Applications using Jim Fulton's ExtensionClass module can now safely
!   be used with Python 2.2.  In particular, Zope 2.4.1 now works with
!   Python 2.2 (as well as with Python 2.1.1).  The Demo/metaclass
!   examples also work again.  It is hoped that Gtk and Boost also work
!   with 2.2a4 and beyond.  (If you can confirm this, please write
!   webmaster@python.org; if there are still problems, please open a bug
!   report on SourceForge.)
  
  - property() now takes 4 keyword arguments:  fget, fset, fdel and doc.
***************
*** 10,60 ****
    associate a docstring with a property.
  
! - file.writelines() now accepts any iterable object producing strings.
  
! - PyUnicode_FromEncodedObject() now works very much like
!   PyObject_Str(obj) in that it tries to use __str__/tp_str
!   on the object if the object is not a string or buffer. This
!   makes unicode() behave like str() when applied to non-string/buffer
!   objects.
  
! - PyFile_WriteObject now passes Unicode object to the file's write
!   method. As a result, all file-like object which may be the target
!   of a print statement must support Unicode objects, i.e. they must
!   at least convert them into ASCII strings.
  
  - The builtin file type can be subclassed now.  In the usual pattern,
    "file" is the name of the builtin type, and file() is a new builtin
    constructor, with the same signature as the builtin open() function.
    file() is now the preferred way to open a file.
- 
- - In 2.2a3, *for new-style classes only*, __getattr__ was called for
-   every attribute access.  This was confusing because it differed
-   significantly from the behavior of classic classes, where it was
-   only called for missing attributes.  Now, __getattr__ is called only
-   if regular attribute access raises AttributeError; to catch *all*
-   attribute access, *for new-style classes only*, you can use
-   __getattribute__.  If both are defined, __getattribute__ is called
-   first, and if it raises AttributeError, __getattr__ is called.
  
! - In 2.2a3, __new__ would only see sequential arguments passed to the
!   type in a constructor call; __init__ would see both sequential and
!   keyword arguments.  This made no sense whatsoever any more, so
    now both __new__ and __init__ see all arguments.
  
! - In 2.2a3, hash() applied to an instance of a subclass of str or unicode
!   always returned 0.  This has been repaired.
  
! - In 2.2a3, an operation on an instance of a subclass of an immutable type
!   (int, long, float, complex, tuple, str, unicode), where the subtype
!   didn't override the operation (and so the operation was handled by the
!   builtin type), could return that instance instead a value of the base
!   type.  For example, if s was of a str sublass type, s[:] returned s
!   as-is.  Now it returns a str with the same value as s.
  
! - Applications using Jim Fulton's ExtensionClass module can now safely
!   be used with Python 2.2.  In particular, Zope 2.4.1 now works with
!   Python 2.2 (as well as with Python 2.1.1).  The Demo/metaclass
!   examples also work again.
  
  - Thread scheduling on Solaris should be improved; it is no longer
    necessary to insert a small sleep at the start of a thread in order
--- 22,88 ----
    associate a docstring with a property.
  
! - Comparison overloading is now more completely implemented.  For
!   example, a str subclass instance can properly be compared to a str
!   instance, and it can properly overload comparison.  Ditto for most
!   other built-in object types.
  
! - The repr() of new-style classes has changed; instead of <type
!   'M.Foo'> a new-style class is now rendered as <class 'M.Foo'>,
!   *except* for built-in types, which are still rendered as <type
!   'Foo'> (to avoid upsetting existing code that might parse or
!   otherwise rely on repr() of certain type objects).
  
! - The repr() of new-style objects is now always <Foo object at XXX>;
!   previously, it was sometimes <Foo instance at XXX>.
  
+ - For new-style classes, what was previously called __getattr__ is now
+   called __getattribute__.  This method, if defined, is called for
+   *every* attribute access.  A new __getattr__ hook mor similar to the
+   one in classic classes is defined which is called only if regular
+   attribute access raises AttributeError; to catch *all* attribute
+   access, you can use __getattribute__ (for new-style classes).  If
+   both are defined, __getattribute__ is called first, and if it raises
+   AttributeError, __getattr__ is called.
+ 
+ - The __class__ attribute of new-style objects can be assigned to.
+   The new class must have the same C-level object layout as the old
+   class.
+ 
  - The builtin file type can be subclassed now.  In the usual pattern,
    "file" is the name of the builtin type, and file() is a new builtin
    constructor, with the same signature as the builtin open() function.
    file() is now the preferred way to open a file.
  
! - Previously, __new__ would only see sequential arguments passed to
!   the type in a constructor call; __init__ would see both sequential
!   and keyword arguments.  This made no sense whatsoever any more, so
    now both __new__ and __init__ see all arguments.
  
! - Previously, hash() applied to an instance of a subclass of str or
!   unicode always returned 0.  This has been repaired.
  
! - Previously, an operation on an instance of a subclass of an
!   immutable type (int, long, float, complex, tuple, str, unicode),
!   where the subtype didn't override the operation (and so the
!   operation was handled by the builtin type), could return that
!   instance instead a value of the base type.  For example, if s was of
!   a str sublass type, s[:] returned s as-is.  Now it returns a str
!   with the same value as s.
  
! Core
! 
! - file.writelines() now accepts any iterable object producing strings.
  
+ - PyUnicode_FromEncodedObject() now works very much like
+   PyObject_Str(obj) in that it tries to use __str__/tp_str
+   on the object if the object is not a string or buffer. This
+   makes unicode() behave like str() when applied to non-string/buffer
+   objects.
+ 
+ - PyFile_WriteObject now passes Unicode object to the file's write
+   method. As a result, all file-like object which may be the target
+   of a print statement must support Unicode objects, i.e. they must
+   at least convert them into ASCII strings.
+ 
  - Thread scheduling on Solaris should be improved; it is no longer
    necessary to insert a small sleep at the start of a thread in order
***************
*** 102,109 ****
    Tool to a standard library package.  (Tools/compiler still exists as
    a sample driver.)
- 
- - pydoc and inspect are now aware of new-style classes;
-   e.g. help(list) at the interactive prompt now shows proper
-   documentation for all operations on list objects.
  
  Tools
--- 130,133 ----