generic functions in python

[Miki Tebeka]

Hello Jim,

> E.g., the multiple class inheritance is great,
> but there are no generic functions (at least that
> i can find).  If i have classes  X, Y, and Z,
> and subclasses X_sub, Y_sub, and Z_sub respectively.
> 
> I'd love to write methods which speicialize on pairs
> of these classes. It works in lisp as follows
> 
> (defmethod mymethod (( x X) ( y Y)) ;; # 1
>   ...)
> 
> (defmethod mymethod (( x X_sub) ( y Y)) ;; # 2
>   ...)
> 
> (defmethod mymethod (( z Z) ( x X)) ;; # 3
>   ..)
> 
> 
> Then for example if i call mymethod with
> an instance of X_sub and Y_sub then # 2
> gets called.

http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-pydisp.html

HTH.
Miki.