[Python-Dev] Re: Python-checkins digest, Vol 1 #370 - 8 msgs

Moshe Zadka Moshe Zadka <mzadka@geocities.com>
Tue, 29 Feb 2000 08:11:14 +0200 (IST)


On Mon, 28 Feb 2000, Ka-Ping Yee wrote:

> > (BTW, perhaps the __contains__ changes should be extended to __max__
> > and __min__?  They share many of the same issues.)
> 
> Indeed -- but then who do you trust?  The first element of the
> sequence?  Is it acceptable for
> 
>     max(a, b, c, d)
> 
> to read as
> 
>     "a, please tell me which is the maximum among yourself, b, c, and d"

Ping, I hardly think Python is going to ever have multi-methods...
Of course, __max__ (just like __add__ now) should (in some theoretical
definition of should) be implemented with multi-dispatch. See MAL's 
suggestion for coercion for pragmatic (though not theoretic) possible
workarounds.

--
Moshe Zadka <mzadka@geocities.com>. 
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