Iterator class to allow self-restarting generator expressions?

[Terry Reedy]

John O'Hagan wrote:
> Inspired by some recent threads here about using classes to extend the 
> behaviour of iterators, I'm trying to replace some some top-level functions 
> aimed at doing such things with a class.
> 
> So far it's got a test for emptiness, a non-consuming peek-ahead method, and 
> an extended next() which can return slices as well as the normal mode, but 
> one thing I'm having a little trouble with is getting generator expressions 
> to restart when exhausted. This code works for generator functions:
> 
> class Regen(object):
>     """Optionally restart generator functions"""
>     def __init__(self, generator, options=None, restart=False):
>         self.gen = generator

Your 'generator' parameter is actually a generator function -- a 
function that created a generator when called.

>         self.options = options

Common practice would use 'args' instead of 'options'.

>         self.gen_call = generator(options)

If the callable takes multiple args, you want '*options' (or *args) 
instead of 'options'.

That aside, your 'gen_call' parameter is actually a generator -- a 
special type of iterator (uncallable object with __next__ (3.0) method).

It is worthwhile keeping the nomenclature straight.  As you discovered, 
generator expressions create generators, not generator functions.  Other 
than being given the default .__name__ attribute '<genexpr>', there is 
otherwise nothing special about their result.  So I would not try to 
treat them specially.  Initializing a Regen instance with *any* 
generator (or other iterator) will fail.

On the other hand, your Regen instances could be initialized with *any* 
callable that produces iterators, including iterator classes.  So you 
might as well call the parameters iter_func and iterator.

In general, for all iterators and not just generators, reiteration 
requires a new iterator, either by duplicating the original or by saving 
the values in a list and iterating through that.

Terry Jan Reedy