Idea about method parameters

[Markus Schaber]

Erik Max Francis <max at alcyone.com> schrub:

> Markus Schaber wrote:
> 
>> Now I'd love to have the possibility to shorten this by typing:
>> 
>> class A:
>>     def m(self, self.value):
>>         pass # or the other work to be done
>> 
>> This should do exactly the same as:
>> 
>> class A:
>>     def m(self, value):
>>         self.value = value
>>         del value
>>         #the other work here
> 
> Explicit is better than implicit.  Saving a few keystrokes shouldn't
> be sufficient reason to add such an irregular exception.

I would not call it an exception only because common languages don't 
have it already.

With def, you tell the interpreter to bind the values the caller gives 
to some method-local names. I just give the ability to bind this values 
to names from the objects namespace as well.

Well - compare the following example just reconstructed from 
a class I use in a small database, building a chained list:

class Tankung:
  def __init__(Liter, # the amount of fuel
               Datum, # the date
               Preis, # the price
               Tachostand, # the kilometer count
               Waehrung = "DM", # DM or Euro?
               Tankstelle, # where was it bought
               Bemerkung= "", # any remarks?
               prev = None) # the previous one, omit for first in chain

    self.Liter = Liter # set the amount of fuel
    self.Datum = Datum # set the date
    self.Preis = Preis # set the price
    self.Waehrung = Waehrung # set the currency
    self.Tankstelle = Tankstelle # set the fuel station
    self.Bemerkung = Bemerkung # set the remarks

    self.Tachostand = int(Tachostand) # ensure the kilometer count is
                                      # an integer

    self.prev = prev # set the previous one
    try: # build the chained list
      self.prev.next = self
    except TypeError:
      pass #prev was None or alike

and in the proposed syntax:

class Tankung:
  def __init__(self.Liter, # set the fuel
               self.Datum, # set the date
               self.Preis, # set the price
               Tachostand, # the kilometer count
               self.Waehrung = "DM", # DM or Euro?
               self.Tankstelle, # where was it bought
               self.Bemerkung= "", # any remarks?
               self.prev = None) # the previous one, omit for first in
                                 # chain
    
    self.Tachostand = int(Tachostand) # ensure the kilometer count is
                                      # an integer
    try: # build the chained list
      self.prev.next = self
    except TypeError:
      pass #prev was None or alike

I just rebuilt it from brain because the source is on another machine, 
and put the Comments in English instead of German so there might be 
typos :-)

In my eyes, the second example is more clear and elegant.

markus
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