[XML-SIG] Ugh! Why are DOM access methods spelled with a leading '_'?

[Jim Fulton]

Mike Olson wrote:
> 
> Jim Fulton wrote:
> >
> > Traditionally, Python attributes (including methods) with
> > names starting with '_' were treated as private.
> >
> > Why oh why then does the Python DOM implementation use
> > method names beginning with '_'s in the public API (for
> > getting attributes), as in '_get_nodeType'? Why not
> > 'get_nodeType' or 'getNodeType'? Is the intent that these
> > functions shouldn't be called by Python code?
> 
> The methods really are not part of the DOM API.

The DOM level 2 recommendation says:
"1.Attributes defined in the IDL do not imply concrete objects which 
must have specific data members - in the language bindings, they are
translated to a pair of get()/set() functions, not to a data member.
Read-only attributes have only a get() function in the language bindings."

This says to me that the DOM API specifies use of methods
for interface attributes.  
 
> Example: the API defines the attribute nodeType.  the python mapping
> (based off the python CORBA mapping) translates this into _get_nodeType
> for accessors.

I looked at the Python CORBA mapping, but it didn't say anything
about mapping interface-defined attributes. Structure members
are treated as simple Python attributes.
 
> This interface is not published, but people do use it. 

I think that the benefit of a Python DOM is greatly
reduced if there isn't a well-known (ie published) Python
mapping for it.

> It is encouraged
> that you directly
> access the attributes.

This needs to be specified, not encouraged.  If the '_get_'
methods are part of the interface, then this needs to be spelled out.
If they are *not* part of the interface, then this should be known too.

I personally, would like to have both method and attribute access, but
I'm not happy with public method ames that start with '_'.

> > Is there are description somewhere of the Python DOM mapping,
> > other than the DOM sources?
> 
> I'm not sure if anyone has put together a formal document.  We've based
> most of it off the CORBA mapping at
> http://www.python.org/sigs/do-sig/corbamap.html

I've looked at this several times and don't see a discussion of 
attribute mapping. What section of this are you refering to?

I've also looked at http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?ptc/00-01-12,
which is similar and also leaves attribute mapping unspecified. :(
 
Jim

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