[Python-3000] Revised PEP 3119 (Abstract Base Classes)

[Phillip J. Eby]

At 06:01 PM 5/14/2007 +0100, Paul Moore wrote:
>On 14/05/07, Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org> wrote:
> > I'm not sure what language you would specifically like to see added to
> > the PEP. "Recommendation for 3rd party frameworks: please don't use
> > the stick approach." sounds a little strange. What's the point you're
> > trying to get across?
>
>Something like:
>
>As a style issue, 3rd party code which wishes to use ABCs should
>follow the lead of the core and standard library, and be written in
>such a way as to allow, but not require, the use of ABCs.
>
>But as I said, I'm coming to the view that worrying about such things
>is FUD.

It's not FUD.  It's a pitfall that everybody falls into, even "wizards".

Realistically, warning people about it won't stop everyone from 
falling into it, but it will at least help some of them realize their 
mistake more quickly once they've made it.  :)

(That is, some will go, "oh, so *that's* why they said this was bad", 
instead of thinking their problems are one-time flukes.)

However, the issue I'm talking about here is that of using if-then 
tests to select behavior based on some global type, which is a bit 
more specific than "don't require ABCs", so YMMV.  :)