Inheritance and name clashes

[Rock]

> Object-oriented designs are difficult to design in any programming
> language, and it helps to have some sort of concrete problem to drive
> the discussion.  Are you working on a particular design where you
> think Python's philosophy will inhibit good design?  My take on Python
> is that it focuses more on enabling good designs than preventing bad
> designs.  I prefer this to Java, for example, which I feel inhibits me
> from expressiveness at a higher cost than any supposed benefits
> private/protected would give me.

Thanks for the reply. No, I was just working with a normal library
class which was supposed to be derived. So that's what I did, but in
the process I found myself needing to create an instance variable and
it dawned on me: "how do I know I'm not clobbering something
here???" ... I'd have to look at the docs, right? But I still wasn't
sure ... so, then I thought "let's look at the source", and then I
found out. But! It took me some time to make sure, and I was puzzled
as well. I mean, what if I have no source to look at? What if the
library I'm using doesn't realase the source, or what if I just can't
get my hands on it for some reason or another?

That was a big disappointment with Python for sure. Somehow PHP makes
me feel a little safer, in that respect at least.