Why no list heritable type?

[Jeremy Bowers]

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 12:53:32 -0800, James Stroud wrote:
> Then it can be heritable and I can add or override methods. Why aren't
> built in lists and dictionaries real heritable types that can save this
> kind of patchwork? Is there a pythonic reason I am missing here?

Along with others pointing out that list *is* inheritable and we don't
quite know what you mean, I'd point out that any object that inherits the
appropriate "magic methods", as described at 
http://python.org/doc/2.4/ref/sequence-types.html
and 
http://python.org/doc/2.4/ref/sequence-methods.html
"is" a list for most things you care about. 

Want to iterate? Implement __iter__, and "for blah in yourObjType:" will
work as you'd want, even for things like trees if you like. Implement
__getitem__ and you get [] working right. 

Python makes matching its "internal protocols" very easy, and you should
definately take advantage of that.