PEP 318 (was Re: [Python-Dev] Re: Guido's Magic Code was: inlinesort option)

[Delaney, Timothy C (Timothy)]

> From: Alex Martelli [mailto:aleaxit at yahoo.com]
> 
> BTW, when we do come around to PEP 318, I would suggest the 'as'
> clause on a class statement as the best way to specify a metaclass.

I just realised what has been bugging me about the idea of

    def foop() as staticmethod:

and it applies equally well to

    class Newstyle as type:

Basically, it completely changes the semantics associated with 'as' in Python - which are to give something a different name (technically, to rebind the object to a different name).

OTOH, the first case above means 'create this (function) object, call this decorator, and bind the name to the new object'. So instead of taking an existing object (with an existing name) and rebinding it to a new name, it is creating an object, doing something to it and binding it to a name. A definite deviation from the current 'as' semantics, but understandable.

However, the second case above is doing something completely different. It is creating a new object (a class) and binding it to a name. As a side effect, it is changing the metaclass of the object. The 'as' in this case has nothing whatsoever to do with binding the object name, but a name in the object's namespace.

I suppose you could make the argument that the metaclass has to act as a decorator (like in the function def above) and set the __metaclass__ attribute, but that would mean that existing metaclasses couldn't work. It would also mean you were defining the semantics at an implementation level.

I'm worried that I'm being too picky here, because I *like* the way the above reads. I'm just worried about overloading 'as' with too many essentially unrelated meanings.

Tim Delaney