[Python-Dev] Re: Vote No on 318 (original) (raw)

David Abrahams dave at boost-consulting.com
Fri Apr 2 15:45:12 EST 2004


"Raymond Hettinger" <python at rcn.com> writes:

> A failing common to all of the proposals is that they turn action > words (like classmethod) into adjectives with implicit actions. [Greg Ewing] Action words? I would have said "classmethod" is a noun, and as such it's a perfectly good name for a decorator. Sure, the current name happens to be a noun instead of "classmethodify", but what it does is action oriented. So, the real issue is declarative versus imperative. Both are great, but don't mix well.

I disagree, especially where Python is concerned. Declarations in Python, if that even has meaning, are imperative by nature. Try running this:

def f(): g()

f()

def g(): pass

The highest level languages are often declarative. The fact that the declarations may be executed is, as Greg says, an implementation detail.

-- Dave Abrahams Boost Consulting www.boost-consulting.com



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