[Python-Dev] RE: Hot-To Guide for Descriptors - Nits! :-)

[François Pinard]

[Jeremy Hylton]
> On Wed, 2004-01-21 at 20:24, François Pinard wrote:

> > If there is no base class, then "if there's a global variable named
> > __metaclass__, it is used."  So my guess would be that adding a mere

> >    __metaclass__ = type

> > in global scope for a module would make all classes be "new-style",
> > without the need to subclass them from object explicitly.

> Unless you define a class that inherits from a base class defined in
> another module.

I thought about this of course.  This is no problem in our case, since
these other modules will have their `__metaclass__ = type' themselves.

> I prefer to inherit from object, because it is more explicit, and
> avoids possible confusion when some classes have classic bases.

A `__metaclass__ = type' at the beginning of a module is explicit enough
to my eyes.  If I can demonstrate that this does not harm, it will
become a convention here to include this line in each and every module
for all in-house projects, and we should be done with classic classes.

Unless we sub-class classic classes from the Python library, I do not
know how frequently we do that.  By the way :-), I presume there are
plans for the Python library to progressively switch to new-style
classes whenever possible?  If not, should they be?

-- 
François Pinard   http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~pinard