[Python-ideas] Interrogate alternate namespace keyword and concept

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:22:07 pm Prozacgod wrote:
> A while back i had learned about the 'with' statement and at first I
> naively thought that it worked similarly to a with statement I was
> familiar with, from delphi/pascal - obviously it doesn't and I was
> instantly hit with the idea of how useful it would be to have a
> keyword that could use a namespace from an object, hitting the
> familiar __getattr__ functions and related.

What is the motivation? Is it just to reduce typing?

Being an ex-Pascal coder myself, I originally missed having a 
Pascal-like 'with' statement too. But now I'm not so sure it is needed.

I know this proposal (under the name 'with') has been discussed before, 
but I can't find a PEP for it... ah, here you go, it was in the FAQs:

http://www.python.org/doc/faq/general/#why-doesn-t-python-have-a-with-statement-for-attribute-assignments

C-# doesn't have one either:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vcsharp/aa336816.aspx

I don't think there are any problems with a Pascal-style 'with' 
statement that couldn't be overcome, but I don't think the benefit is 
great enough to create a new keyword for it. Can you explain in more 
detail why this proposed feature is useful?



-- 
Steven D'Aprano