Implementing a circular counter using property / descriptors?

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 12:25:10 +0200, IloChab wrote:

> I'd like to implement an object that represents a circular counter, i.e.
> an integer that returns to zero when it goes over it's maxVal.

[snip]

> The python problem that I give you it's about style. 
> I'd like to write in my code something that looks almost like using an
> integer object.  
> 
> I mean, I'd like to write:
> 
> cnt = CircularConter(maxVal=100, initialVal=10) 
> cnt += 100     # cnt value is 9
> print cnt      # prints 9
> 100 > cnt      # is false

All this is perfectly sensible.

> cnt = 100      # cnt new value is 100 [NOT  rebind cnt with 100]

This is not possible. Names like cnt are just labels, they don't have
behaviour. Objects have behaviour; but objects don't and can't know what
name or names they are assigned to.

[snip]

> The fact is that I don't like to write cnt.set(100) or  
> cnt = CircularConter(100, 100) instead of cnt = 100. 

How do you expect the Python compiler to know you want a CircularConter
instance if you just write 100?

(By the way, in English, the correct spelling is counter, not conter.)

> So I thought that property or descriptors could be useful. 
> I was even glad to write:
> 
> cnt = CircularConterWithProperty(maxVal=100, initialVal=10) 
> cnt.val += 100
> print cnt.val
> 100 > cnt.val      # is false
> cnt.val = 100
> 
> just to give uniformity to counter accessing syntax. 
> But I wasn't able to implement nothing working with my __cmp__ method.

__cmp__ is for CoMParisons, not binding names to objects.


-- 
Steven.