[Python-Dev] [Python-checkins] peps: Pre-alpha draft for PEP 435 (enum). The name is not important at the moment, as

[Antoine Pitrou]

Le Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:44:33 -0600,
Skip Montanaro <skip at pobox.com> a écrit :
> > Besides "we just don't need them int-based in these use-cases" what
> > are the reasons for the strong desire to have them be valueless?
> 
> Not sure about other people, but piggybacking off C semantics, while
> convenient, reflects the limitations of the C implementation more than
> anything else.  An enumeration, while you can count its items, doesn't
> imply that the elements of the enumeration are naturally ordered.  If
> you force an underlying association with integers, you imply ordering
> where none naturally exists.   Given this:
> 
> critters = enum(DOG, CAT, RACCOON)
> 
> what does it mean that DOG < CAT?

It doesn't mean anything, but so what? "DOG" > "CAT" doesn't mean much
either, and yet it's legal in Python.

Regards

Antoine.