Make 'def' and 'class' usable within expressions

[Thomas Heller]

Shane Hathaway <shane at zope.com> writes:

> Ahem, I was hoping for opinions on this idea, either positive or
> negative.  It could make Python better or worse.  I need to know
> whether I should flesh out the proposal more.
>
> I've added some comparisons below.  IMHO this syntax is clearer than
> the syntax proposed for PEP 318, and a little more powerful.
>
> Shane Hathaway wrote:
>> In thinking about PEP 318, I came across an idea that might be worth
>> pursuing further.  It goes deeper than PEP 318, so it would need its
>> own PEP.
>> The idea is to make 'def' and 'class' usable within expressions.
>> Expressions using 'def' or 'class' are followed by a code block.
>> Upon evaluation of the expression, the 'def' or 'class' symbol
>> evaluates as the function or class created by the code block.  Only
>> one 'def' or 'class' is allowed per expression.

>>     # Define an interface.
>>     ICustomer = Interface(class):
>>         def get_id():
>>             """Return the customer ID"""
>
> Today, this would be written as:
>
>      class ICustomer:
>          def get_id():
>              """Return the customer ID"""
>      ICustomer = Interface(ICustomer)

With PEP 318 in place, it would be written as:

      class ICustomer [Interface]:
          def get_id():
              """Return the customer ID"""

Hm.

I like the third way best.  Why? The 'Interface(class)' idiom confuses
me.  But maybe I'm infected by the PEP 318 virus.

Thomas