[Python-Dev] Second post: PEP 557, Data Classes

[Eric V. Smith]

On 11/27/2017 7:26 AM, Sebastian Rittau wrote:
> On 27.11.2017 12:01, Sebastian Rittau wrote:
>>
>>> The major changes from the previous version are:
>>>
>>> - Add InitVar to specify initialize-only fields. 
>>
>> This is the only feature that does not sit right with me. It looks 
>> very obscure and "hacky". From what I understand, we are supposed to 
>> use the field syntax to define constructor arguments. I'd argue that 
>> the name "initialize-only fields" is a misnomer, which only hides the 
>> fact that this has nothing to do with fields at all. Couldn't 
>> dataclassses just pass *args and **kwargs to __post_init__()? Type 
>> checkers need to be special-cases for InitVar anyway, couldn't they 
>> instead be special cased to look at __post_init__ argument types? 
> I am sorry for the double post, but I thought a bit more about why this 
> does not right with me:
> 
>   * As written above, InitVars look like fields, but aren't.

Same as with ClassVars, which is where the inspiration came from.

>   * InitVar goes against the established way to pass through arguments,
>     *args and **kwargs. While type checking those is an unsolved
>     problem, from what I understand, I don't think we should introduce a
>     second way just for dataclasses.
>   * InitVars look like a way to satisfy the type checker without
>     providing any benefit to the programmer. Even when I'm not
>     interested in type checking, I have to declare init vars.

Same as with ClassVars, if you're using them. And that's not just a 
dataclasses thing, although dataclasses is the first place I know of 
where it would change the code semantics.

>   * InitVars force me to repeat myself. I have the InitVar declaration
>     and then I have the repeat myself in the signature of
>     __post_init__(). This has all the usual problems of repeated code.

There was some discussion about this starting at 
https://github.com/ericvsmith/dataclasses/issues/17#issuecomment-345529717, 
in particular a few messages down where we discussed what would be 
repeated, and what mypy would be able to deduce. You won't need to 
repeat the type declaration.

> I hope I did not misunderstood the purpose of InitVar.

I think you understand it perfectly well, especially with the "context" 
discussion. Thanks for bringing it up.

Eric.