[ python-Bugs-1204734 ] Documentation error?

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Bugs item #1204734, was opened at 2005-05-18 22:21
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by zhar
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Category: Documentation
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Submitted By: John Eikenberry (zhar)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Documentation error?

Initial Comment:
>From http://www.python.org/dev/doc/devel/ref/new-style-attribute-access.html

"Called unconditionally to implement attribute accesses for instances of the class. If the class also defines __getattr__, it will never be called (unless called explicitly)."

But I'm not seeing this behaviour in python-2.3.5 and python-2.4.1 on Linux.

class A(object):

    def __getattr__(self,key):
        print '__getattr__',key
        raise AttributeError,key

    def __getattribute__(self,key):
        print '__getattribute__',key
        raise AttributeError,key

a = A()
a.foo

$ python test.py
__getattribute__ foo
__getattr__ foo
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "test.py", line 14, in ?
    a.foo
  File "test.py", line 7, in __getattr__
    raise AttributeError(key)
AttributeError: foo

It seems to be calling __getattribute__ as it should, but then it falls back on __getattr__ even though the docs specifically say it shouldn't.



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>Comment By: John Eikenberry (zhar)
Date: 2005-05-23 11:43

Message:
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user_id=322022

Please specify in the documentation whether this is how it
is supposed to work or whether this is a side-effect of the
implementation. To make explicit if you can write code
relying on this 'feature' and not have it break at some point.

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Comment By: Armin Rigo (arigo)
Date: 2005-05-23 07:28

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=4771

Indeed, the logic in typeobject.c is to call __getattribute__ and fall back on __getattr__ if the former raised an AttributeError.  This is necessary because all objects have a __getattribute__, actually, as there is one in the 'object' base class.  This let me think that the error is really in the documentation, which should mention this logic.

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