using names before they're defined

[Bruno Desthuilliers]

Nick Vatamaniuc wrote:
> Dave,
> 
> Sometimes generating classes from .ini or XML files is not the best
> way. You are just translating one language into another and are making
> bigger headaches for your self. It is certainly cool and bragable to
> say that "my classes get generated on the fly from XML" but  Python is
> terse and reasonable enough to just write it in Python. In other words
> instead of saying <turbine> <power>2MW</power></turbine> just write
> some Python code that instantiates a turbine  with a 2MW power based on
> your class. Then you can evaluate Python code in Python and you even
> got your on-the-fly generation.
> As a general rule, I would say to think 3 times before touching XML in
> Python unless you are absolutely forced to. Config .ini files can be
> more acceptable but Python is still best. Why write
> ;;My turbine class
> [turbine]
> power=2MW
> speed=800rpm
> ...
> when you can just say:
> #my turbine class
> t=Turbine( power="2MW", \
>                speed="800rpm", \
>                ...
> First case is a little shorter but then you have to use a parser for it

There's one builtin.

> while in the second case you just execute the file, and besides, you
> can edit it with any Python editor.
> 

This is certainly nice when the users are able to write python code, but
that's not always the case. Also, it can be dangerous to directly
execute user's python code...


-- 
bruno desthuilliers
python -c "print '@'.join(['.'.join([w[::-1] for w in p.split('.')]) for
p in 'onurb at xiludom.gro'.split('@')])"