[Types-sig] Why have two hierarchies? (*EUREKA!*)
Just van Rossum
just@letterror.com
Sat, 5 Dec 1998 14:42:54 +0100
Here's one additional remark that I forgot to put in the article.
The meta classes issue comes from this question:
If an object has a class (a __class__ attribute), the what is
the class of the object's class?
My (current ;-) solution to this infinite recursion can be summarized thusly:
Today, instances have a __class__, and classes have base classes. Instead
of adding a __class__ attribute to classes, we should get rid of the
__class__ attribute of instances and give them __bases__ instead. So
instead of _adding_ a layer of complexity (meta classes) I _remove_ one.
Python today:
instance.__class__.__bases__
I suggest:
instance.__bases__
Ok, enough already. Let the hangman come!
Just