How can i call array_length to get the length of array object?

[Antoon Pardon]

On 06/24/12 10:48, Stefan Behnel wrote:
> gmspro, 24.06.2012 10:01:
>   
>> Why are some methods/functions named in this way in python? __len__
>>
>> underscoreunderscoreNAMEunderscoreunderscore
>>
>> Is there any speciality of naming such methods?
>>     
> Yes. Look up "special methods" in the documentation.
>
> You may have noticed the correspondence between len() and __len__(). That
> is Python's way of allowing you to implement this kind of generic
> functionality (sometimes referred to as a protocol).
>
> You also asked why len() is a function instead of a method. Don't you find
> it much easier to use one function for everything than to look up and
> sometimes even learn one method for each kind of object you are dealing
> with? Python prefers simplicity here. You want the length? Use len().
>
> Stefan
What does this have to do with using a function vs a method?

In the python 2.x series, the iterator protocol, proscribe you need to
define a "next" method, which you can call directly or which is called
in for statements.

Now in python 3.x the method is called "__next__" and there is a
next-function which will call this __next__ method.

I see no difference in difficulty between item = iter.next() and item =
next(iter).
Neither do I see a difference in difficulty between size = len(seq) or
size = seq.len().

Sure it is possible for someone feeling uncooperative to write a class
in which method giving the length of the object was named something
different from "len". But that is now also possible.