[Python-Dev] method decorators (PEP 318)

[Greg Ewing]

Skip Montanaro <skip at pobox.com>:

> If not, you'll probably get people (newbies
> at least) trying to write stuff like this:
> 
>     def foo(a):
>         if a > 5:
>             @attr: "bob"
>         elif a > 0:
>             @attr: "skip"
>         else:
>             @attr: "guido"
> 
> The other forms (via a decorator, using explicit attribute assignments after
> the definition) make it explicit that these attribute assignments don't
> occur in the context of function execution.

Hmmm... What about

  def foo(a):
    attributes:
      author = "Guido"
      deprecated = 1
    body:
      b = sqrt(a)
      return 3 * b / 2

Would that provide sufficient clues that the attributes are
*not* part of the body?

Greg Ewing, Computer Science Dept, +--------------------------------------+
University of Canterbury,	   | A citizen of NewZealandCorp, a	  |
Christchurch, New Zealand	   | wholly-owned subsidiary of USA Inc.  |
greg at cosc.canterbury.ac.nz	   +--------------------------------------+