Python recipes: list mixin, improved timeit, etc

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Fri, 07 Oct 2005 05:11:00 -0700, Michele Simionato wrote:

> Well, suppose you have a class MyObject and you want to add to it some
> methods to make its instances into a database. You could put these
> methods into another class called Storable (the mixin class).
> Then you can mix MyObject with Storable and get what you want,
> a class StorableObject inheriting both from Storable and MyObject.
> Of course you can reuse Storable to make storable even other
> classes, for  instance you could define a StorableOtherObject
> inheriting from OtherObject and Storable.

So mixins are just a sub-class [pun intended] of sub-classing?

I've just found this:

[quote]
A mixin class is a parent class that is inherited from - but not as
a means of specialization. Typically, the mixin will export services to a
child class, but no semantics will be implied about the child "being a
kind of" the parent.
[end quote]

from http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?MixIn

Is that all they are?

It is amazing how you can take the simplest concept, and by using
appropriate terminology, make it as confusing and opaque as you want...

*wink*


-- 
Steven.