[Python-Dev] Equality on method objects

[Armin Rigo]

Hi Phillip,

On Sun, Mar 09, 2008 at 07:05:12PM -0400, Phillip J. Eby wrote:
> I did not, however, need the equality of bound methods to be based on 
> object value equality, just value identity.
> 
> ...at least until recently, anyway.  I do have one library that wants 
> to have equality-based comparison of im_self.  What I ended up doing 
> is writing code that tests what the current Python interpreter is 
> doing, and if necessary implements a special method type, just for 
> purposes of working around the absence of im_self equality 
> testing.  However, it's a pretty specialized case (...)

I found myself in exactly the same case: a pretty specialized example
where I wanted bound methods to use im_self equality rather than
identity, solved by writing my own bound-method-like object.  But that's
not really hard to do, and the general tendency (which matches my own
opinion too) seems to be that using im_self identity is less surprizing.

In general, "x.append" is interchangeable with "x.append" even if
"x.append is not x.append", so let's go for the least surprizing
behavior: "m1.im_self is m2.im_self and m1.im_func==m2.im_func".
Objection?


A bientot,

Armin