[Python-Dev] PEP 435 -- Adding an Enum type to the Python standard library

Ethan Furman ethan at stoneleaf.us
Thu Apr 25 22:14:19 CEST 2013


On 04/25/2013 12:02 PM, Tres Seaver wrote:
> On 04/25/2013 12:39 PM, Ethan Furman wrote:
>> Animals is a class. Giving Animals a parameter (such as 1 or 'ant')
>> should return the instance that matches.
>
> Animals is *not* a class -- it just uses the class syntax as a convenient
> way to set up the names used to construct the new type.  (This subtlety
> is why the metaclass hook is reputed to make peoples' brains explode).

So Animals is a type?  Like int?

--> int('5')  # 5

--> Animal(1)  # I think it should be Animal.ant  ;)


>> This is how classes work.
>
> Not really.  Normal classes, when called, give you a new instance:  they
> don't look up existing instances.

You mean like bool?

--
~Ethan~


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