[Python-Dev] PySet API (original) (raw)

Alex Martelli aleaxit at gmail.com
Sun Mar 26 08:57:32 CEST 2006

On Mar 25, 2006, at 9:57 PM, Aahz wrote:

I'd really like to see someone else who understands the issues (i.e. using the Python C-API) weigh in. Both Barry and Raymond are clever programmers who generally understand what's Pythonic, and I find myself agreeing with whoever posted last. ;-) Having another perspective would probably shed some light here.

My general preference is rather well-known, and I quote the advice I
gave in "Python in a Nutshell"...: """ Some of the functions callable on specifically-typed objects [...]
duplicate functionality that is also available from PyObject_
functions; in these cases, you should almost invariably use the more
general PyObject_ function instead. I don’t cover such almost- redundant functions in this book. """

However, I don't go as far as suggesting PyObject_CallMethod and the
like... I'd much rather have abstract-layer PyObject_... functions,
as long as they're applicable to two or more concrete built-in types
(for example, IMHO adding PyObject_Clear is a no-brainer -- it's
obviously right). And I'm on the fence regarding the specific issue
of PySet_Next.

So, having carefully staked out a position smack in the middle, I
cheerfully now expect to be fired upon from both sides!-)

Alex

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