Alternative decorator syntax decision

[Paul McGuire]

There are a number of messages on the python-dev mail list that indicate
that Guido is looking for some concensus to come from this list as to what
*one* alternative syntax for decorators we would like him to consider in
place of the @ syntax that is currently in 2.4a2.

I think special thanks are due to:
- Anthony Baxter for his continuing efforts in this regard
- Steven Bethard for some of the clearest thinking and writing on this topic
- Michael Sparks for actually implementing one of the options

We've all done our share of pitching and whining, but we need to settle on
*one* option for Guido to consider.

(And let's not get wrapped up complaining about the "process" being followed
in this whole thing, personally I think it is quite poor.  But let's play
with the cards we've been dealt, and at least make a collective proposal.)

The significant alternatives have been listed on the Python wiki at
http://www.python.org/moin/PythonDecorators .

Interested parties should also look at the comments in the python-dev
archive for the past month, at
http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2004-August/thread.html .

I would propose a multivote survey: each poster gets 3 votes among the
lettered choices on the Wiki page above.  You can use all 3 for a single
option, or split them across 2 or 3 options if you are open to more than
one.

I am not going to argue that this is scientific in any respect, but it
*should* allow the major 1 or 2 choices to bubble to the top.  I have used
this process at work many times in the past when it was necessary for a
large group to set priorities among a large list of choices.

My vote is:  J2  J2  C1

By the way, once an option has been chosen, it *still* needs an
implementation for Guido to accept it.  This puts some of the options way
ahead of the others, in my mind.

(And let's hope we get at least as good a response as the "average age"
thread!)

-- Paul