[Python-Dev] Re: Plea for simpler decorator syntax, in addition to pie-shaped syntax

[Tim Peters]

[Gustavo Niemeyer]
>>> IMO, the most common uses of decorators will be to define properties,
>>> and class and static methods.  IMO, these uses would be better served
>>> by a simpler syntax:
>>>
>>>   def classmethod foo(cls, ...):
>>>       ...

I've seen this example several times today, and I have to say that
every time I've seen it, my unstoppable gut reaction was "wait, why
are they defining their own classmethod function here?!".  I've had
that problem since the first time this syntax vairant was suggested
(loooooong ago), and it's not going away.  Maybe it's 10+ years of "in
Python, the name of the function comes after the 'def'" and I just
can't adjust that to qualify "but is the *last* name after a 'def'
preceding the first left paren following the 'def'"; or maybe it's
because I've written God-only-knows how many tools that believe the
same thing (the Emacs python-mode parser; the IDLE parser; any number
of one-shot cheap-ass regexps).  Whatever, I can't get used to it.

So, sorry, but I like

@classmethod
def foo(cls, ...):

unboundedly better than that.  For that matter, I like it at least as
well as any alternative to date, and better than most.  I actively
hate putting stuff between 'the def' and the function name.

Then again, I'm old <wink>.