[Python-ideas] dir with a glob?

[Joao S. O. Bueno]

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 8:29 AM, Ben Finney <ben+python at benfinney.id.au> wrote:
> Sturla Molden <sturla at molden.no> writes:
>
>> Often when exploring an object with the 'dir' function, particularly
>> in large packages like SciPy, I find that I need to filter the outout.
>
> We have list comprehensions and generator expressions to filter a
> sequence, and I suspect they would serve you well for this purpose.

The problem is that dir is generally used on a live section,
and a list comprehension to filter dir results is way to verbose
to type when you need it.

>
>> Since a dir reminds me of a dos 'dir' or linux 'ls', a glob feels like
>> the most natural to use.
>>
>> For example, none of these would work:
>>
>> >>> dir(sp.fft.i*)  # syntax error
>
> What would you expect this to return? The ‘dir’ function is specifically
> for inspecting *one* object. Do you just want all the attributes of all
> the matching objects mixed up together, or what?
>
>> I believe a new dir functions is needed, or a change in the behviour
>> of the current version.
>
> This is ‘python-ideas’. What is your idea for the desired behaviour?
>
> What about using a list comprehension or generator expression to get
> what you want?


I believe a second parameter to dir, being  a glob filter string, would be
fine. Being able to type:

dir (gtk.Window, "set*")

, for example
instead of

[attrib for attrib in dir(gtk.Window) if attrib.startswith("set")]


would be indeed a good thing to have.

  js
 -><-


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