Style for modules with lots of constants

[Neil Cerutti]

The Glk API (which I'm implementing in native Python code)
defines 120 or so constants that users must use. The constants
already have fairly long names, e.g., gestalt_Version,
evtype_Timer, keycode_PageDown.

Calls to Glk functions are thus ugly and tedious.

    scriptref = glk.fileref_create_by_prompt(
            glk.fileusage_Transcript | glk.fileusage_TextMode,
            glk.filemode_WriteAppend, 0)

Please give me some good style advice for this situation. 

I know some modules are designed to be used as 'from XXX import
*'. Since the Glk API is heavily influenced by its inception in
C this might not be a huge problem. All the functions in the API
have glk_ prepended, since C has no namespaces. I think it makes
sense to stick the glk_'s back on the functions and instruct
users to 'from Glk import *', but I know it doesn't conform with
Python practice, and Python has plenty of modules that were
originally designed in C, but don't insist on polluting the
global namespace.

Would it better to use strings instead? Some Python builtins use
them as a way to avoid creating of global constants.

    scriptref = glk.fileref_create_by_prompt('Transcript+TextMode',
            'WriteAppend', 0)

Parsing the combinable bitfield contants might be slowish,
though.

Thanks for taking the time to consider my question.

-- 
Neil Cerutti
For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a
nursery downstairs. --Church Bulletin Blooper