[Python-Dev] Meta-reflections

[David Ascher]

I think that you're making useful points, but I think that it's worth
stepping even further back and deciding what the reflection API should
be like from a "what's it for" POV?

This relates to much of the discussion about what dir() should do on
new-style classes, as well as why some Python objects have 'members',
some have 'methods', etc. 

In my opinon, __dict__ is mostly an implementation detail, and it makes
sense to me that the slot names dont' show up in there (after all, it's
not a dictionary!).  

What I'd propose is that the inspect module grow some "abstract"
reflection APIs which make it possible for folks who don't need to know
about implementation details to get away with it.

Looking at it, maybe it already has everything we need.  I'm not quite
sure why inspect.getmembers is called that, but maybe I'm the only one
who's not sure what 'members' mean in Python.

--david