Signature-based Function Overloading in Python

[John Posner]

On 2/23/2010 1:25 PM, Michael Rudolf wrote:
> Just a quick question about what would be the most pythonic approach in
> this.
>
> In Java, Method Overloading is my best friend, but this won't work in
> Python:
>
>  >>> def a():
> pass
>  >>> def a(x):
> pass
>  >>> a()
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "<pyshell#12>", line 1, in <module>
> a()
> TypeError: a() takes exactly 1 argument (0 given)
>
> So - What would be the most pythonic way to emulate this?
> Is there any better Idom than:
>
>  >>> def a(x=None):
> if x is None:
> pass
> else:
> pass
>

Consider this:

#------------------
def myfunc(*arglist):
     if not arglist:
         print "no arguments"
         return
     for i, arg in enumerate(arglist):
         print "Argument %d is a %s, with value:" % (i, type(arg)),
         print arg


myfunc()
print "---"
myfunc(1)
print "---"
myfunc(2, "three", [4, 5,6])
#------------------

program output:

no arguments
---
Argument 0 is a <type 'int'>, with value: 1
---
Argument 0 is a <type 'int'>, with value: 2
Argument 1 is a <type 'str'>, with value: three
Argument 2 is a <type 'list'>, with value: [4, 5, 6]


HTH,
John