Missing interfaces in Python...

[Rene Pijlman]

Neal Becker:
>I see various answers that Python doesn't need interfaces.  OTOH, there are
>responses that some large Python apps have implemented them (e.g., zope). 
>Does anyone have an explanation of why these large systems felt they needed
>to implement interfaces?

A programming language doesn't need interfaces, unless it insists on
compile time checking of just about everything.

The idea of interfaces arises from the construction and maintenance of
large and complex software systems. It provides a level of abstraction
that makes it easier to talk about a component and document what it
requires from and offers to it's environment.

Also, interfaces can make this documentation first-class objects, so test
tools, IDE's and software design tools can take advantage of it.