[Python-Dev] Draft proposal: Implicit self in Python 3.0 (original) (raw)

Fabien Schwob skink at evhr.net
Fri Jan 6 13:10:41 CET 2006

Example 1 (Python 2.x):

class Foo:
    def __init__(self, x):   # 1: Explicit 'self' argument
        self.x = x           # 2: 'self' must be used explicitly
    def bar(self, a, b):     # 3: There are three arguments...
        print self.x + a + b

Foo(10).bar(20, 30)          # ...but only two explicit parameters
                             #    is presented

This document proposes to change this, as the next example shows:

Example 2 (Python 3.0):

class Foo:
    def __init__(x):         # 1: Implicit self
        .x = x               # 2: Brief form of: self.x = x
    def bar(a, b):           # 3: Two arguments...
        print .x + a + b

Foo(10).bar(20, 30)          # ...and exactly two parameters

In my case, I think that the problem of self is mainly in the method definition. It's a little "hard" to understand why you have to use myFunction(self, otherArgs) when you create a class method. But the use of self in the code of the method is a good thing because it allow you to clearly say that you are working on a class property. In my case, I would like to have the following syntax in Python 3.0 :

class Foo: def init(x): self.x = x def bar(a, b): print self.x + a + b

My 0.2€ ;)

-- Fabien SCHWOB

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