[Python-Dev] def ... decorate

[Raymond Hettinger]

> I've kept my nose out of the decorator discussion, but I thought I
would
> give my opinion on this one...
> 
> 
> > On Fri, 13 Aug 2004, Skip Montanaro wrote:
> >
> > >with
> > >
> > >    def p_statement_expr:
> > >        staticmethod
> > >        grammarrule('statement : expression')
> > >        version("Added in 2.4")
> > >        deprecatedmethod
> > >        type_(None)
> > >    decorate (self, p):
> > >        """docstring here"""
> > >        print p[1]
> >
> > Bingo!
> 
> Oh god no.
> 
> 
> > Just replace decorate with "from" and the nice syntax is found:
> >
> >     def f:
> >         staticmethod
> >         grammarrule('statement : expression')
> >         version("Added in 2.4")
> >         deprecatedmethod
> >         type_(None)
> >     from self, p:
> >         """docstring here"""
> >         print p[1]
> 
> Gah, the horror.

I think we should take maximum advantage of prior art.  Other languages
have proven the efficacy of backwards spellings.  Likewise, the reST
module has proven the utility of ASCII markup.

    dothemcitats::
    elurrammarg  ``statement : expression''::
    dohtemdetacerped::
    ``````````````````
    def f(arg):
         . . .



Advantages:

* Won't delude people into thinking they can understand a python program
just by reading it.

* Highly adaptable to electronic parsing while discouraging the adverse
trend towards human readability.

* Accomplishes the life saving core goal of moving decorators up a few
lines while only incurring the minor cost of complicating the snot out
of the language.

* Unlikely to be confused with any existing python constructs.

* Takes less effort to implement, document, and test than to read all of
the decorator syntax emails to date.


Alternative:

A further application of prior art would be to hypergeneralize the
solution to this problem and design a solution using XML.  This takes
maximum advantage of existing tools while providing a framework for all
potential future proposals to add a second or third way to accomplish
things we can already do now. 


citsacras-ly yours,


Raymond