[Python-Dev] Type hints -- a mediocre programmer's reaction

[Chris Barker]

On Wed, Apr 22, 2015 at 5:45 PM, Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org> wrote:

> Given that even if Difference existed, and even if we had a predefined
> type alias for Difference[Iterable[str], str], you' still have to remember
> to mark up all those functions with that annotation. It almost sounds
> simpler to just predefine this function:
>
> def make_string_list(a: Union[str, Iterable[str]]) -> Iterable[str]:
>     if isinstance(a, str):
>         return [a]
>     else:
>         return a
>

fair enough -- and I do indeed have that code in various places already.

Somehow, I've always been uncomfortable with checking specifically for the
str type -- guess I want everything to be fully duck-typable.

But then I wouldn't be doing type hints, either, would I?

-Chris
-- 

Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
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