Why self?

[Alex Martelli]

Robb Shecter wrote:

> Alex Martelli wrote:
>>... And the reason you don't have to state that, is that it makes
>>absolutely
>> no difference whatsoever -- you can try to get any attribute (methods
>> included) from any object, it either succeeds or fails (and that only
>> partly depends on the object's class).
> 
> Well, I'd say that an object understanding the message I send to it, or
> being the type of object I think it is - success or failure - surely is
> a big difference!  Sort of the name of the whole game...

An object can "understand" (well...) the message (out of metaphor: be
able to supply the attribute or method you're asking of it) WITHOUT
"being the type you think it is".  This is called POLYMORPHISM, and
IS the whole game.


Alex