[Python-ideas] PEP: Shorthand Symbol for "self"

[Bruce Leban]

Jim Jewett wrote:

> One of the problems with the current syntax is that calling sites
>> don't match the definition site the way they do for normal functions.
>> This proposal doesn't seem to help with that.
>> ...
>>
>    def m(self, a, b, z=None): ...
>>
>>    # self is moved outside the parens, changing the tuple size
>>    self.m(a, b, z)
>>    self.m(a, b)
>>
>
> On Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 6:26 PM, Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:

> If m is an attribute of type(s) (which is s.__class__), this shrinkage is a
> convenient abbreviation, not a requirement.  The above calls are the same as
> type(s).m(s.a,b,z) or type(s).m(s,a,b).  Or, if you prefer,
> fn = type(s).m # or s.__class__.m
> fn(s,a,b,z)
> If m is an attribute s, and s in not a class, the shrinkage is not
> available, and one must write s.m(s,a,b,z) or s.m(s.a,b).
>
> Terry Jan Reedy


If I could write:

  class foo:
    def self.bar():
      self.rebar(self.babar)

then the call to  object.bar() would match the declaration.

Back to Russ's proposal: it would be better accomodated IMHO by allowing $
as a character in a variable name, just like _ is. Then, conventionally,
people could use $ as self:

  def $.bar():
    $.rebar($.babar)

and for whatever it's worth, I find $.bar easier to read then $bar as the
explicit dot reminds me it's doing an attribute get rather than looking like
a special variable name.

--- Bruce
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