Why do descriptors (and thus properties) only work on attributes.

[Steve Holden]

Steven Bethard wrote:
> Steve Holden wrote:
> 
>> Steven Bethard wrote:
>>
>>> Antoon Pardon wrote:
>>>
>>>> Can anyone explain why descriptors only work when they are an attribute
>>>> to an object or class.  I think a lot of interesting things one can
>>>> do with descriptors would be just as interesting if the object stood
>>>> on itself instead of being an attribute to an other object.
>>>
>>>
>>> Not sure what "stood on itself" really means, but if you just want to 
>>> be able to have module-level properties, you can do something like:
>>>
>> Think in non-English (stand outside yourself?) for a second, 
>> rememberinf Antoon is Belgian (if you knew that):
>>
>>    "on" => "by"
>>
>>    "stood on itself" => "stood by itself"
>>                      => "standalone"
>>
> 
> Sorry, I gathered that this meant "standalone".  My problem was that I'm 
> not sure what "standalone" means in the context of descriptors. 
> Descriptors are invoked when dotted-attribute access is used.  When 
> exactly is he proposing "standalone" descriptors would be invoked?
> 

Well, my *guess* was Antoon was referring to module attributes - names 
that can be referenced without qualification using a "." operator.

Which, I suppose, is how you read it too. Sorry.

regards
  stEvE
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