Playing with Prothon today, I am fascinated by the idea of eliminating
classes in Python. I'm trying to figure out what fundamental benefit
there is to having classes. Is all this complexity unecessary?
Here is an example of a Python class with all three types of methods
(instance, static, and class methods).
# Example from Ch.23, p.381-2 of Learning Python, 2nd ed.
class Multi:
numInstances = 0
def __init__(self):
Multi.numInstan ces += 1
def printNumInstanc es():
print "Number of Instances:", Multi.numInstan ces
printNumInstanc es = staticmethod(pr intNumInstances )
def cmeth(cls, x):
print cls, x
cmeth = classmethod(cme th)
a = Multi(); b = Multi(); c = Multi()
Multi.printNumI nstances()
a.printNumInsta nces()
Multi.cmeth(5)
b.cmeth(6)
Here is the translation to Prothon.
Multi = Object()
with Multi:
.numInstances = 0
def .__init__(): # instance method
Multi.numInstan ces += 1
def .printNumInstan ces(): # static method
print "Number of Instances:", Multi.numInstan ces
def .cmeth(x): # class method
print Multi, x
a = Multi(); b = Multi(); c = Multi()
Multi.printNumI nstances()
a.printNumInsta nces()
Multi.cmeth(5)
b.cmeth(6)
Note the elimination of 'self' in these methods. This is not just a
syntactic shortcut (substiting '.' for 'self') By eliminating this
explicit passing of the self object, Prothon makes all method forms
the same and eliminates a lot of complexity. It's beginning to look
like the complexity of Python classes is unecessary.
My question for the Python experts is -- What user benefit are we
missing if we eliminate classes?
-- Dave
