Getting in to metaprogramming

[Hendrik van Rooyen]

 "Terry Reedy" <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:


> Hendrik van Rooyen wrote:
>
> > I am using the term in the restricted sense of Python writing Python source.
> >
> > Given that, can anybody think of an example that you could not do with
> > a class?  (excepting the "stored procedure" aspect)
>
> I am not sure I understand your question.
>
> def iterize(recursive_function_text):
>      <code to parse input and fill a template>
>      return equivalent_iterative_function_text
>
> where input and output are both Python code.  If one were to implement
> this by compiling the input to AST form and then walking the tree, the
> AST node classes would be involved, but I would scarely say the
> translation was done by the classes, as opposed to functions which might
> or might not be attacked to a class as methods.
>

I am not sure I understand the answer - if the input and output are both
bits of python source, then the output must be stored and evaluated or
imported to get it executed, right?

Now if this is the case, my question has to do with whether it is always
possible to put the equivalent code in a class, and instantiating it so that
it is either immediately executed or ready for immediate execution.  My
gut feel tells me that it should always be possible, but I have often had
wrong hunches.

Not sure if this makes it any clearer.

- Hendrik