[Python-Dev] Requesting that a class be a new-style class

[Raymond Hettinger]

> > This is something I've typed way too many times:
> >
> > Py> class C():
> >   File "<stdin>", line 1
> >     class C():
> >             ^
> > SyntaxError: invalid syntax
> >
> > It's the asymmetry with functions that gets to me - defining a
> > function with no arguments still requires parentheses in the
> > definition statement, but defining a class with no bases requires the
> > parentheses to be omitted.
>
> Seconded.  It's always irked me enough that it's the only ``apology''
> for Python syntax you'll see in the Nutshell -- top of p. 71, "The
> syntax of the class statement has a small, tricky difference from that
> of the def statement" etc.

+1  For me, this would come-up when experimenting with mixins.  Adding and removing a mixin usually entailed a corresponding
change to the parentheses.



Raymond