Python 2 suggestions
PaulMa...@yahoo.com
2.x, but I thought I might give it a go.
Have a isa infix keyword to replace/augment the isinstance function. You could
then have typesafe function calls by using :
def fn( self, a isa long, b isa tuple ):
...
Now I'll just go over here and hide behind this rock....
--
Paul Matthews
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sk...@calendar.com
> As a python newbie I'm not sure if its wise to make suggestions for Python
> 2.x, but I thought I might give it a go.
Hey, don't worry, we only throw nerf rocks around here... :-)
> Have a isa infix keyword to replace/augment the isinstance function. You could
> then have typesafe function calls by using :
>
> def fn( self, a isa long, b isa tuple ):
> ...
This is a start down the static types road (a very slippery road, in my
opinion). For more information, see the summary of the recent Python
Developer's Day forums on similar topics:
http://www.foretec.com/python/workshops/1998-11/devday.html
Check out Roger Masse's and Jim Fulton's sections.
--
Skip Montanaro
Mojam: http://www.mojam.com/
Musi-Cal: http://concerts.calendar.com/
Martijn Faassen
>
> As a python newbie I'm not sure if its wise to make suggestions for Python
> 2.x, but I thought I might give it a go.
>
> then have typesafe function calls by using :
>
> def fn( self, a isa long, b isa tuple ):
> ...
>
Don't worry, we all make suggestions; I do and I'm mostly a newbie
myself. Nobody has killed me yet. :)
This sounds suspiciously like static typechecking and other type issues
(though of course these could be dynamic checks too). For lots of talk
about those issues (which can be quite complicated), and even
uber-arcane discussions about meta-classes that would make my head
explode if I tried to follow them, check out the types-sig (see the
Python homepage).
Regards,
Martijn
Tim Peters
> Don't worry, we all make suggestions; I do and I'm mostly a newbie
> myself. Nobody has killed me yet. :)
Don't feel too safe, Martijn: you know that Guido even recently killed
Santa Claus!
even-god-isn't-safe-from-that-man's-ego<wink>-ly y'rs - tim
Martijn Faassen
Hm, I didn't know. But Santa Claus doesn't exist, anyway. The Only True
Sint is Sinterklaas. Guido must be part of the Cause.
is-safe-as-long-as-Guido-lets-Sinterklaas-live-ly yours,
Martijn
Gordon McMillan
> > Don't feel too safe, Martijn: you know that Guido even recently
> > killed Santa Claus!
No, actually he killed "Santa Clause", which is fine, because the
fine print never was very generous.
[Martijn Faassen]
> Hm, I didn't know. But Santa Claus doesn't exist, anyway. The Only
> True Sint is Sinterklaas. Guido must be part of the Cause.
You underestimate his adaptability. After frolicking in your
permissive-to-the-point-of-depravity country, Santa zips up his fly,
trades his wooden shoes for Nike Airs ($159), slaps endorsement
stickers on his sleigh and heads west.
which-is-nothing-compared-to-how-quick-he-had-to-sober-up
-to-get from-Christian's-house-to-yours-ly y'rs
- Gordon
Martijn Faassen
It is merely an attempt to teach ignorant Americans about the One True
Sint.
Gordon McMillan wrote:
>
> [Tim]
>
> > > Don't feel too safe, Martijn: you know that Guido even recently
> > > killed Santa Claus!
>
> No, actually he killed "Santa Clause", which is fine, because the
> fine print never was very generous.
Ah, the Santa Clause in the Python License? What did that say again?
> [Martijn Faassen]
>
> > Hm, I didn't know. But Santa Claus doesn't exist, anyway. The Only
> > True Sint is Sinterklaas. Guido must be part of the Cause.
>
> You underestimate his adaptability. After frolicking in your
> permissive-to-the-point-of-depravity country, Santa zips up his fly,
> trades his wooden shoes for Nike Airs ($159), slaps endorsement
> stickers on his sleigh and heads west.
Hm. You seem to be somewhat mistaken about the True Nature of the Sint.
These are all facts we teach our children (the listing is not complete):
* The Sint lives in Madrid, Spain. Every year in november he enters the
country at a specific location, in a steam boat. The boat carries the
wrapped presents for the children. Of course it also brings the Zwarte
Pieten into the country (see next time). This event is televized on
national television.
* The Sint has a lot of helpers called Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes). They
dress in colorful uniforms. They're generally acrobatic. They climb onto
roofs and into chimneys. They give candy to children, especially
pepernoten (peppernuts), by throwing it into rooms (everybody scrambles
to the floor). They may be black because this is their skin color, or
they may be black because they enter chimneys so often. It's not
entirely known.
* After the Sint's grand entry in the country, the Sint and the Pieten
make seperate entries in every city and town in the country. Sometimes
multiple times. They also visit schools (Pieten then throw pepernoten
into the classrooms). Young children get to ask the Sint personally for
presents. The Sint also gets many letters (often delivered by shoe, see
below).
The Sint also visits many campuses and companies; I heard he was here
actually, today.
* The Sint rides on a white horse (a schimmel). The Sint is dressed in
red, and has a tall red hat (he probably uses that Linux distribution).
Somewhat like the pope in red. He also has a tall golden staff, and a
long white beard. He has a big book with the names of all the children
in it, and if they've been good or bad. The Sint does not wear wooden
shoes. Sometimes he wears glasses, sometimes not. Coming from Spain, he
certainly has no sleigh.
* Some evil tongues spread the rumor that the Sint and Pieten transport
kids who've been bad back to Spain in the sacks the Pieten use for
present delivery. It is well known that this is false. It's been
publicly denied by the Sint. It's not true.
* There are many songs about the Sint and the Pieten that children sing.
One starts like this:
Zie ginds komt de stoomboot uit Spanje weer aan,
hij brengt ons Sint Nicolaas, ik zie 'm al staan.
See over there comes the steamboat from Spain again,
it brings us Saint Nicolas, I'm see him standing already
Unfortunately it doesn't rhyme in English. :)
* The children can deliver notes to the Sint by shoe. They set the shoe
in front of the fireplace (or somewhere else if there is a lack of
fireplace) in the evening. Often they draw pictures for the Sint as
well. They sometimes leave hay and carrots for the Sint's horse. At
night, the Sint (or his helpers) come through the chimney (or enter by
other means), take the notes for the Sint and any gifts for the horse,
and leave candy or small presents for the children. This is in advance
of the 6th of december, the Sint's birthday.
* Then the big night comes; that of the 5th of december. That night
(before the Sint's birthday), he visits the homes of the children of the
Netherlands (and parts of Belgium, and he visits parts of Germany as
well, I heard). Sometimes he (or a Piet) manages to deliver the presents
in the evening, so the kids spend the evening unwrapping the gifts.
Sometimes the gifts are only found next morning. Both have happened to
me (it seems to depend on the Sint's schedule).
* After the 6th, the Sint may deliver some packages to family gatherings
as well. After that he and his helpers go back to Spain (this time
without all the media attention..don't know when exactly they leave).
The Sint has been visiting the Netherlands for hundreds of years. Santa
is only a second hand rip-off popularized by the Coca Cola company. :)
Sinterklaas (or St. Nicolaas) is speculated to inspired by a vague
christian saint (not canonized anymore, I think), rumored to have lived
in present day Turkey in the early days of Christianity. Somehow he
moved to Spain after this. The black petes appear to be a combination of
chimney sweeps and black Spanish moors. The steam boat was introduced by
the end of the last century (I've seen pictures of him arriving by steam
train as well).
Another speculation is this Saint somehow got combined with an Old Norse
god, who wrote on his horse through the skies (instead of on roofs). I
think this was Odin, but I'm not up to date on my Norse pantheon.
Another interesting anthropological titbit is that the Sint has
traditionally (though not currently anymore) been a metaphor for a
certain male genital part. The Sint looks tall with the red hat, I
suppose. So you may be right about this being a depraved country. :)
I'm currently in the process of trying to convince the Sint's webadmin
Piet to use Python for their web site (probably using
Bobo/Principia..which is going to be called Zope, I hear).
Apologizing-for-contributing-to-the-noise-part-of-the-signal-noise-ly
yours,
Martijn
Jean-Claude Wippler
>
> > Hm, I didn't know. But Santa Claus doesn't exist, anyway. The Only
> > True Sint is Sinterklaas. Guido must be part of the Cause.
Or some clause.
[Gordon McMillan]
> You underestimate his adaptability.
I think Guido's scared of Sinterklaas - why else would he change his
name just before the man's anniversary? What's next... GV as initials?
-- JeanClaudeWippler
Martijn Faassen
Late-breaking-news:
He's posting as 'van Rossum' again. His sig however still says
'VanRossum'. More developments expected shortly.
Martijn
Barry A. Warsaw
>>>>> "GM" == Gordon McMillan <gm...@hypernet.com> writes:
GM> No, actually he killed "Santa Clause", which is fine, because
GM> the fine print never was very generous.
I'm pretty sure I heard him say "Satan Claws" but it was either my
lack of sleep, or him drinking one too many "peppermint" teas.
-Barry