Classmethods are evil

[Hans Nowak]

Ivan Illarionov wrote:
> After re-reading "Python is not Java" I finally came to conclusion that 
> classmethods in Python are a very Bad Thing. 
> 
> I can't see any use-case of them that couldn't be re-written more clearly 
> with methods of metaclass or plain functions.

I agree with your sentiments, although I'm not sure I would pick metaclasses 
over class methods... or over anything at all, for that matter. :-)

> They have the following issues:
> 1. You mix instance-level and class-level functionality in one place 
> making your code a mess.
> 2. They are slower than metaclass methods or plain functions.

The way I see it, a class method is really just sugar for a function operating 
on the class, living in the class namespace.  As such, they are basically 
redundant, and as you point out, they can always be replaced by a function 
outside the class (and in fact, this was what people did before they came along 
in 2.2).  Personally, I don't use them... but some people like them.  Different 
strokes, and all that...

--Hans