[Python-Dev] constant/enum type in stdlib

[Michael Foord]

On 24/11/2010 14:08, Nick Coghlan wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 24, 2010 at 10:30 PM, Michael Foord
> <fuzzyman at voidspace.org.uk>  wrote:
>> Based on a non-exhaustive search, Python standard library modules currently
>> using integers for constants:
> Thanks for that review. I think following up on the "NamedConstant"
> idea may make more sense than pursuing enums in their own right. That
> way we could get the debugging benefits on the Python side regardless
> of any type constraints on the value (e.g. needing to be an integer in
> order to interface to C code), without needing to design an enum API
> that suited all purposes.

Can you explain what you see as the difference?

I'm not particularly interested in type validation but I like the fact 
that typical enum APIs allow you to group constants: the generated 
constant class acts as a namespace for all the defined constants.

Are you just suggesting something along the lines of:

class NamedConstant(int):
def __new__(cls, name, val):
return int.__new__(cls, val)

def __init__(self, name, val):
self._name = name

def __repr__(self):
return '<NamedConstant %s>' % self._name

FOO = NamedConstant('FOO', 3)

In general the less features the better, but I'd like a few more 
features than that. :-)

All the best,

Michael


> Cheers,
> Nick.
>


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