[Python-Dev] Issue10403 - using 'attributes' instead of members in documentation

[Senthil Kumaran]

Hello! 

http://bugs.python.org/issue10403 is a documentation bug which talks
about using the term 'attribute' instead of the term 'member' when it
denotes the class attributes. Agreed.

But the discussion goes on to mention that,

"Members and methods" should just be "attributes".

I find this bit odd. If the two terms are used together, then
replacing it with attributes is fine. But the term 'methods' cannot be
replaced with 'attributes' as it changes the meaning.

Take this case,

   :class:`BZ2File` provides all of the methods specified by the
   :class:`io.BufferedIOBase`, except for :meth:`detach` and :meth:`truncate`.
   Iteration and the :keyword:`with` statement are supported.

is correct, whereas replacing "methods with attributes" would make it as

   :class:`BZ2File` provides all of the attributes specified by the
   :class:`io.BufferedIOBase`, except for :meth:`detach` and :meth:`truncate`.
   Iteration and the :keyword:`with` statement are supported.

It does not seem correct.

My stance is, "It is attributes instead of term members and the term method
when it denotes methods can be left as such." Can I still hold on to that and
modify the patch which Adam has submitted or the 'attribute' substitution
everywhere makes sense?


Thanks,
Senthil