[Python-ideas] method decorators @final and @override in Python 2.4

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:26:16 am Scott David Daniels wrote:
> Péter Szabó wrote:
> ...
>
> > I think we have a different understanding what @override means. I
> > define @override like this: ``class B(A): @override def F(self):
> > pass'' is OK only if A.F is defined, i.e. there is a method F to
> > override. What I understand about your mails is that your
> > definition is: if there is @override on A.F, then any subclass of A
> > must override A.F. Do I get the situation of the different
> > understanding right? If so, do you find anything in my definition
> > which prevents code reuse? (I don't.)
>
> Nor do I.  I completely misunderstood what you meant by override, and
> I agree that what you are specifying there _is_ a help to those
> writing code (I'd document it as a way of marking an intentional
> override).

Perhaps I just haven't worked on enough 20,000 line projects, but I 
don't get the point of @override. It doesn't prevent somebody from 
writing (deliberately or accidentally) B.F in the absence of A.F, since 
the coder can simply leave off the @override.

If @override is just a way of catching spelling mistakes, perhaps it 
would be better in pylint or pychecker. What have I missed?



-- 
Steven D'Aprano