[Python-ideas] An ABC representing "Iterable, Sized, Container"

[Serhiy Storchaka]

On 22.07.16 18:48, Chris Angelico wrote:
> On Sat, Jul 23, 2016 at 12:20 AM, Daniel Moisset
> <dmoisset at machinalis.com> wrote:
>> Would there be interest in some kind of method/API for restarting iterators?
>> If there was a it.restart() (or reset(it)), it would probably be a good idea
>> to name the concept in the same way as the method ( "Restartable" or
>> "Resettable"). And having that as an actual protocol would simplify the
>> discussion on both what the type should contain and how it should be named,
>> while having actal applications to simplify code (and reduce memory usage in
>> cases when creating a list is not needed, just making multiple passes).
>
> IMO, no. Some iterators can be restarted by going back to the original
> iterable and requesting another iterator, but with no guarantee that
> it will result in the exact same sequence (eg dict/set iterators).
> Does that count as restarting? And what if you start by consuming a
> header or two, then pass the resulting iterator to another function.
> Based on type, it would be restartable (say it's a list_iterator), but
> the called function would be highly surprised to suddenly get back
> more results.
>
> What you might be looking at is a protocol for "bookmarking" or
> "forking" an iterator. That might be more useful.

There is such a protocol. Use copy.copy().