[Python-ideas] PEP 3107 Function Annotations: interoperability (again)

[Brett Cannon]

On 1/1/07, Tony Lownds <tony at pagedna.com> wrote:
>
> In discussing the Function Annotations PEP on python-list,
> interoperability
> between schemes came up again:
>
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2006-December/420645.html
>
> John Roth wrote:
> > Third, it's half of a proposal. Type checking isn't the only use
> > for metadata about functions/methods, classes, properties
> > and other objects, and the notion that there are only going to
> > be a small number of non-intersecting libraries out there is
> > an abdication of responsibility to think this thing through.
>
> This issue came up before in
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-3000/2006-August/002796.html
> and a rather long thread followed. Here is the paragraph in the PEP that
> needs updating, at the least:
>
>     There is no worry that these libraries will assign semantics at
>     random, or that a variety of libraries will appear, each with
>     varying semantics and interpretations of what, say, a tuple of
>     strings means. The difficulty inherent in writing annotation
>     interpreting libraries will keep their number low and their
>     authorship in the hands of people who, frankly, know what they're
>     doing.
>
> The notion that libraries don't intersect should be stripped from the
> PEP. The question in my mind is whether this PEP needs to take
> responsibility for interoperability.
>
> I contend that people who design an annotation-consuming library
> that ends up intersecting several others will likely be capable of
> finding
> a solution even if not ideal without a central mechanism, and will be
> far
> better situated to define a solution for a central mechanism.
>
> Any thoughts?



Until extensive usage happens with annotations we shouldn't try to shoehorn
consumers of the annotations into a specific solution.  As you said,
something will probably organically grow and that can be supported in
another PEP later on (probably with stdlib support).  People tend to want to
design up front but with something like this that is meant to be highly
customizable by the people wanting to use it you just don't get that option
without ample feedback from users.

-Brett
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