property question

[Markus Jais]

hello

Just started playing with python 2.2 and the new features.
Now I have a question on properties:

class Address(object):

        def __init__(self):
                self.firstname     = ""
                self.lastname      = ""
                self.email         = ""

        def set_email(self, email):
                print "in set email"
                self.email = email

        def get_email(self):
                print "in get mail"
                return "<" + self.email + ">"
        
        email = property(get_email, set_email, None, 'Setting the email adress')

if __name__ == '__main__':
        print "testing"

        a = Address()
        a.firstname = "gandalf"
        a.email = "wizard at middle-earth.com"
        print a.firstname
        print a.email


I get an endless recustion because I refer to self.email in the get_ and 
set_ method

how can I set the value of self.email and how can I return a modified 
version in the get method??

I thought with properties there are no more endless recursion
maybe I just do not understand but I do not see an advantage right now over
__getattr__ and __setattr__ and __dict__

please help me to understand the new stuff. 
is there something in the online documentation?? I couldn't find anythong 
about properties

markus