PEP 312 (and thus 308) implemented with a black magic trick

[Raymond Hettinger]

> class DirtyTrick(type):
>     """Cooperative metaclass that looks at the source code of its
instances
>     and replaces the string '~' with 'lambda :' before the class
creation"""
>     def __new__(meta,name,bases,dic):
>         for attr in dic.values():
>             if inspect.isfunction(attr):
>                 code=inspect.getsource(attr)
>                 if code.find('~')==-1: continue # no '~' found, skip
>                 code=code.replace('~','lambda :')
>                 code=dedent(code)+'\n'
>                 exec code in __main__.__dict__,dic # modifies dic
>         return super(DirtyTrick,meta).__new__(meta,name,bases,dic)
>
> # a convenient base class:
>
> class RecognizesImplicitLambdas:
>     "Children of this class do recognize implicit lambdas"
>     __metaclass__=DirtyTrick

Dear Dr. Strangelove,

You are a dangerous man.
I'm glad you're on our side.
You are on our side, aren't you?

curiouser-and-curiouser-ly yours,


Raymond Hettinger