More baby squeaking - iterators in a class

[Bulba!]

Hello Mr Everyone,

From:
http://docs.python.org/tut/node11.html#SECTION0011900000000000000000

"Define a __iter__() method which returns an object with a next()
method. If the class defines next(), then __iter__() can just return
self:"

The thing is, I tried to define __iter__() directly without explicit 
defining next (after all, the conclusion from this passage should
be that it's possible).


class R:
	def __init__(self, d):
		self.d=d
		self.i=len(d)
	def __iter__(self):
		if self.i == 0:
			raise StopIteration
		self.i -= 1
		return self.d[self.i]


>>> s=R('spam')

>>> dir(s)
['__doc__', '__init__', '__iter__', '__module__', 'd', 'i']

Apparently no, there is no next() method. Let's see
if iterator works:

>>> s.__iter__()
'm'
>>> s.__iter__()
'a'
>>> s.__iter__()
'p'
>>> s.__iter__()
's'
>>> s.__iter__()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in ?
  File "<interactive input>", line 7, in __iter__
StopIteration

OK, this part works. But this:

>>> s=R('spam')
>>> for i in s:
	print i
	
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in ?
TypeError: __iter__ returned non-iterator of type 'str'

So which is it? Does next() method HAS to be defined
explicitly? That's what Wikipedia says:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterator#Python

"Any user defined class can support standard iteration (either
implicit or explicit) by defining an __iter__() method which creates
an iterator object. The iterator object then needs to define both an
__iter__() method as well as a next() method."




--
It's a man's life in a Python Programming Association.