[Python-Dev] PEP 435 -- Adding an Enum type to the Python standard library

[Greg Ewing]

Guido van Rossum wrote:
> If we had access to the syntax used for the definition, this would be
> simple: assignments define items, def statements define methods. But
> at run time we only see the final object resulting from the
> definition,

Another way we could tell the difference is if the def
statement used a different protocol for making bindings
than assignment.

Suppose a def statement used in a class body called
__defitem__, if it exists, instead of __setitem__. Then
the metaclass would be able to do different things for
defs and assignments.

-- 
Greg