[Python-Dev] Small suggestion re help(Exception) (original) (raw)

Rob Cliffe rob.cliffe at btinternet.com
Wed Apr 21 18:17:55 CEST 2010


help() on an Exception class lists the method resolution order (effectively the inheritance hierarchy). E.g. help(ArithmeticError) displays inter alia:

Method resolution order: ArithmeticError StandardError Exception BaseException builtin.object

Would it be possible for it also display the Python built-in SUBclasses of the class? E.g. in the same example something like:

Built-in subclasses: FloatingPointError OverflowError ZeroDivisionError

This may seem pointless to grizzled old Python veterans who (maybe) know the inheritance hierarchy backwards, but for those of us with less experience I think it would be helpful, e.g. (1) It would help to track down an Exception whose name you have forgotten. (2) It would sometimes be illuminating, e.g. LookupError might be a bit obscure at first, until you see that it is the superclass of the familiar IndexError and KeyError.

Sorry, I'm not sure if I should send this sort of thing to Python-Ideas or Python-Dev, so please let me know gently which one I should (not) have sent it to.

Best wishes Rob Cliffe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/attachments/20100421/befb2b58/attachment-0001.html>



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