'Hidden Features of Python'

[coldpizza]

Having read through the link below I finally managed to grasp some
concepts that I only read about in the docs but never got to really
understand. Maybe it will be helpful for people like myself who are
not yet fully comfortable with some of Python's `hidden' features.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...ures-of-python

[Joe Strout]

On Oct 17, 2008, at 10:00 AM, coldpizza wrote:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...ures-of-python

Thanks, there are a lot of useful nuggets there. However, can anybody
explain the "Main messages" one? It doesn't include any explanatory
text at all, just a code snippet:

import this
# btw look at this module's source :)

I don't see what I'm supposed to get from that. If I'm supposed to
see the magic (and explanation) be examining the source for the 'this'
module, well, I don't see how I can do that either. Can someone who
gets this share a clue?

Thanks,
- Joe

[coldpizza]

If you are using and IDE, such as Eclipse, PyScripter, etc, then CTR
+click on 'this' should do the trick.
In ipython you can do 'import this' and then type 'this??' Or if you
are *not* lazy, you could try locating the file in the Python tree.

import this
# btw look at this module's source :)

I don't see what I'm supposed to get from that. *If I'm supposed to *
see the magic (and explanation) be examining the source for the 'this' *
module, well, I don't see how I can do that either. *Can someone who *
gets this share a clue?

Thanks,
- Joe

[Joe Strout]

On Oct 17, 2008, at 10:35 AM, coldpizza wrote:

If you are using and IDE, such as Eclipse, PyScripter, etc, then CTR
+click on 'this' should do the trick.
In ipython you can do 'import this' and then type 'this??' Or if you
are *not* lazy, you could try locating the file in the Python tree.

Oh! They're actually talking about a module literally called 'this'!
I thought that was just a placeholder, like "foo".

Interesting (and useful).

As for examining the source though, it seems like it could be
shortened up quite a bit now -- in fact all the source except the
assignment to s could be replaced with the one-liner

print s.encode('rot13')

Though the existing source is interesting in its own way too.

Thanks,
- Joe

[Kurt Smith]

On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 11:48 AM, Joe Strout <jo*@strout.netwrote:

On Oct 17, 2008, at 10:35 AM, coldpizza wrote:

>If you are using and IDE, such as Eclipse, PyScripter, etc, then CTR
+click on 'this' should do the trick.
In ipython you can do 'import this' and then type 'this??' Or if you
are *not* lazy, you could try locating the file in the Python tree.

Oh! They're actually talking about a module literally called 'this'! I
thought that was just a placeholder, like "foo".

Interesting (and useful).

As for examining the source though, it seems like it could be shortened up
quite a bit now -- in fact all the source except the assignment to s could
be replaced with the one-liner

print s.encode('rot13')

Methinks you miss the point -- read the Zen, and apply its principles
to the "this" module. I think they managed to break pretty much all
of them, probably to illustrate a point, all in good fun. Tim Peters
rocks!

For more fun with the Zen, see this thread:

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/pyt...ly/055857.html

Best,

Kurt

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

In message <ma**************************************@python.o rg>, Kurt Smith
wrote:

For more fun with the Zen, see this thread:

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/pyt...ly/055857.html

For someone complaining about improperly-spaced punctuation, they can't
spell "orthographical". :)

--
Lawrence "Skitt's Law? What Skitt's Law?" D'Oliveiro

[Aaron \Castironpi\ Brady]

On Oct 17, 11:00*am, coldpizza <[e-mail]:

Having read through the link below I finally managed to grasp some
concepts that I only read about in the docs but never got to really
understand. Maybe it will be helpful for people like myself who are
not yet fully comfortable with some of Python's `hidden' features.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...ures-of-python

+1 good link.