[Python-Dev] Python 2.2a* getattr suggestion and question

[Guido van Rossum]

> >If you really typed "b.aa", then something's really strange,
> >because you didn't ask to call anything, yet B's __getattr__
> >was asked for "__repr__", not "aa". Since I doubt Guido has
> >adopted VB's call-with-no-args-doesn't-need-parens, I bet you
> >misquoted your session.

For Gordon: the repr() call was implied when the value retrieved was
about to be printed by the interactive interpreter.

> No, I have it right. It was my intention to try b.aa. Every Python object
> has ability to represent itself as string. That is what I wanted here.

For Roman: *most* objects have this ability, but a bug in a program
may cause this to fail.  It's not a guarantee.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)