[Python-ideas] dir with a glob?

[Georg Brandl]

On 01.07.2011 02:12, Nick Coghlan wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 3:22 AM, Georg Brandl <g.brandl at gmx.net> wrote:
>> On 30.06.2011 18:31, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
>>> dir is a convenience function, designed for interactive use. The docs
>>> make it explicit:
>>>
>>> [quote]
>>> Because dir() is supplied primarily as a convenience for use at an
>>> interactive prompt, it tries to supply an interesting set of names more
>>> than it tries to supply a rigorously or consistently defined set of names...
>>>
>>> http://docs.python.org/library/functions.html#dir
>>>
>>>
>>> Given that, I see no downside to making dir more convenient for
>>> interactive use. That's what it's for.
>>
>> I agree.  I often am looking for a specific member that I know exists, but
>> don't recall the exact name (and in particular, not what the name starts
>> with: at least dir() output is sorted).  Searching through one screenful
>> of members isn't pretty.
>>
>> So, +1 for the second argument.
> 
> Yep, I found Steven's reply quite persuasive, so consider my objection
> withdrawn.
> 
> And for interactive prompt usage, simple glob-style matching is a
> better choice than the more powerful re.
> 
> However, this now needs a tracker issue and a patch - as a builtin
> that may legitimately be used before the import machinery is fully
> initialised, it isn't really acceptable for dir() to depend on the
> fnmatch module just for this feature, so implementing this isn't going
> to be quite as easy as it might otherwise be.

Well, apparently someone called "Guido van Rossum" wrote a C implementation
of fnmatch once, that is now included in all sorts of software (and in PHP):

http://www.google.de/search?q=fnmatch+"guido+van+rossum"

<wink>

Georg