[Python-Dev] PEP 435 - requesting pronouncement (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido at python.org
Mon May 6 01:24:21 CEST 2013

On Sun, May 5, 2013 at 4:15 PM, Ethan Furman <ethan at stoneleaf.us> wrote:

On 05/05/2013 03:16 PM, Nikolaus Rath wrote:

Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org> writes:

1. Having to enter the values is annoying. Sorry, I read the rationale and all that, and I still want to write a C-Like enum { A, B, C }. I fully expect to edit and reorder enums (if I ever use them) and get irritated with having to update the value assignments.

I guess there are cultural differences around this. Anyway, you can use the functional/convenience API for this purpose. Would it be wise to forbid ... as an enum value to preserve the option to use it for automatic value assignment in some indefinite future? No. If somebody has a use for ... is a value we're not going to say no on the very remote chance that Guido someday changes his mind on that point. ;)

Correct. If we were to have a change of heart on this issue, we'd just introduce a class AutoNumberEnum. But I find the "..." syntax sufficiently ugly that I really don't expect I'll ever change my mind.

-- --Guido van Rossum (python.org/~guido)

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