[Python-Dev] A thought on generic functions

[Nick Coghlan]

Greg Ewing wrote:
> Nick Coghlan wrote:
>> I don't think it would actually be that much worse - something like 
>> typetools.ProxyMixin would just involve a whole series of register 
>> calls instead of method definitions. I wouldn't expect the total 
>> amount of code involved to change much.
> 
> I'm not thinking about the __xxx__ methods, they're an
> aberration. I'm thinking about all the user-defined
> methods and attributes that get caught in one go by
> the __getattr__ method of the proxy.

Ah, I see what you mean. That's where the generic system itself needs to 
be based on generic functions - then you can hook the lookup function so 
that proxies get looked up based on their target type rather than the 
fact they're a proxy. It all gets very brain bending and self 
referential, which is when folks tend to throw generics in the 'too 
complicated' basket ;)

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia
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