Python has a "really hidden encapsulation"?

[Arnaud Delobelle]

dmytro starosud <d.starosud at gmail.com> writes:

> Hello,
> I'm Python beginner (from Ukraine).
> I may have found the way to really hide attributes in Python class.
> The whole control on this attribute is implemented inside of the
> class.
> *(code is below, Python 3)
> You see that we can't get the reference to instance of class
> "en_property" outside the class "segment", but in the inside we can.
>
> *It seems like there is no way to get the reference to field
> “en_property.v_min” or “en_property.v_max”.
> And object “s” has “two” attributes “v_min”: “s.__dict__['v_min']” and
> “s.v_min”.
>
> Help me find the answer, Can I change this hidden attribute outside
> the class?
> Or is it just an interesting feature?
> ...and Python has a "really hidden encapsulation"?
>
> code:
> class en_property(property):
>    ptr_pget = None
>    ptr_pset = None
>
>    def pset(self, _class, value):
>        self.ptr_pset(self, _class, value)
>
>    def pget(self, _class):
>        return self.ptr_pget(self, _class)
>
>    def __init__(self, pget, pset):
>        property.__init__(self, self.pget, self.pset)
>        self.ptr_pget = pget
>        self.ptr_pset = pset
>
> class segment():
>    def min_set(prop, self, p_min):
>        if (self.v_max is not None) and (p_min > self.v_max):
>            raise AttributeError('It must be: "min < max"')
>        else:
>            prop.v_min = p_min
>
>    def min_get(prop, self):
>        if 'v_min' in dir(prop):
>            return prop.v_min
>
>    def max_set(prop, self, p_max):
>        if (self.v_min is not None) and (p_max < self.v_min):
>            raise AttributeError('It must be: "min < max"')
>        else:
>            prop.v_max = p_max
>
>    def max_get(prop, self):
>        if 'v_max' in dir(prop):
>            return prop.v_max
>
>    v_min = en_property(min_get, min_set)
>    del min_set, min_get
>    v_max = en_property(max_get, max_set)
>    del max_set, max_get
>
> ............................................................................
>>>> s = segment()
>>>> s.v_min = -1
>>>> s.v_max = 1
>>>> s.v_min = 2
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in <module>
>  File "D:\_dimka\I_Master\Programs_PyPg\enca.py", line 6, in pset
>    self.ptr_pset(self, _class, value)
>  File "D:\_dimka\I_Master\Programs_PyPg\enca.py", line 19, in min_set
>    raise AttributeError('It must be: "min < max"')
> AttributeError: It must be: "min < max"
>>>> s.__dict__['v_min'] = 2
>>>> s.__dict__['v_min']
> 2
>>>> s.v_min
> -1
>>>>

One big problem is that the value of v_min and v_max is shared by all
instances of segment:

>>> s = segment()
>>> s.v_min = 3
>>> t = segment()
>>> t.v_min
3
>>> t.v_min = 5
>>> s.v_min
5

So it's not very useful (I suppose it's some kind of "class property").
Moreover I can still make v_min > v_max:

>>> s = segment()
>>> s.v_min = 5
>>> segment.v_max.v_max = 1
>>> s.v_min <= s.v_max
False

-- 
Arnaud