Difference between type and class

[Maric Michaud]

Le Thursday 31 July 2008 13:32:39 Thomas Troeger, vous avez écrit :
> De :
> Thomas Troeger <thomas.troeger.ext at siemens.com>  (Aioe.org NNTP Server)
>   À :
> python-list at python.org
>   Date :
> Aujourd'hui 13:32:39
>    
>
> > Can someone explain to me the difference between a type and a class?
>
> If your confusion is of a more general nature I suggest reading the
> introduction of `Design Patterns' (ISBN-10: 0201633612), under
> `Specifying Object Interfaces'.
>
> In short: A type denotes a certain interface, i.e. a set of signatures,
> whereas a class tells us how an object is implemented (like a
> blueprint). A class can have many types if it implements all their
> interfaces, and different classes can have the same type if they share a
> common interface. The following example should clarify matters:
>

Of course, this is what a type means in certain literature about OO 
(java-ish), but this absolutely not what type means in Python. Types are a 
family of object with a certain status, and they're type is "type", 
conventionnaly named a metatype in standard OO.

There are three sort of objects in Python, in an inclusive order :

- ordinary object, or instance, they could not be instantiated or subclassed 
(in general), and are all an instance of type "object" (or a subclass of it).

- types, or classes, are all instance of type 'type' (or a subclass of it), 
they can be instantiated and they produce objects (ordinary object in 
general) with theirslef as a type.

- metatypes or metaclass, are subclasses of "type", their instances are new 
types.

For all tjis work together you must admit the following recursivity :

'type' is both a subclass and an instance of 'object' while 'object' is an 
instance of 'type'. 

-- 
_____________

Maric Michaud