[Python-Dev] [Python-checkins] r87445 - python/branches/py3k/Lib/numbers.py

[Terry Reedy]

On 12/26/2010 7:01 PM, Nick Coghlan wrote:

> Yes, the definition in the language reference could definitely be
> improved to mention the semantics first, and then reference
> operator.index second.
>
> Possible wording "Indicates to the Python interpreter that the object
> is semantically equivalent to the returned integer, rather than merely
> supporting a possibly lossy coercion to an integer

If that is the intent of __index__, the doc should say so more clearly. 
That clarification would change my answer to your question about range.

 > (i.e. as the
> __int__ method allows for types like float and decimal.Decimal). This
> allows non-builtin objects to be used as sequence indices, elements of
> a slice definition, multiplies in sequence repetition, etc. Can be
> invoked explicitly from Python code via operator.index()"
>
> Removing the circularity from the definitions of __index__ and
> operator.index doesn't have a great deal to do with the docstrings in
> numbers.py, though.

It is both related and needed though. IE, it is hard to answer questions 
about what to to with .index if the intended meaning of .index is not 
very clear ;-).

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy