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Idea about method parameters

Markus Schaber markus at schabi.de
Mon Sep 24 18:49:43 EDT 2001 
Chris Barker <chrishbarker at home.net> schrub:

> Markus Schaber wrote:
> 
>> Now I'd love to have the possibility to shorten this by typing:
>> 
>> class A:
>>     def m(self, self.value):
>>         pass # or the other work to be done
> 
> I suspect that this will clash with the internals somewhere, but I
> love it!

This is why I gave the following semantic definition:

class A:
    def m(self, value):
        self.value = value
        del value
        #the other work here

This is completely valid python semantics, at least since 1.5.2 (if I 
got it correctly), and it may even be implemented as a preprocessor 
like mechanism during testing / as a first step: 

Parse the parameter list from left to right, beginning with the second 
parameter. Whenever you get to a parameter that has a dot in it, and 
the part before the dot equals to the first (self per convention) 
parameter (or the class name or a superclass name), replace the 
parameter with the part of the right side of the dot (keeping an 
eventual default value declaration which begins with =). Then insert 
the assignment and the del statement after the def: statement (just 
after other generated assignments to keep the left-to-right order, but 
before any user specified code). 

markus
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