[Python-ideas] Access to function objects

[Terry Reedy]

On 8/7/2011 8:10 AM, Guido van Rossum wrote:

>>> For most uses, standard recursion via the name is good enough, it's only a
>>> few corner cases where self-reflection (as I call it) is needed.
>
> Right. If it were expected that people would start writing recursive
> calls using __function__ routinely, in situations where a name
> reference works, I'd be very unhappy with the new feature.

I am willing to separate the recursion and attribute access use cases 
and not advocate that. I agree that

def fact(n): # requires int n >= 0
   return n*__function__(n-1) if n else 1

is less readable than fact(n-1)

 > (And if
> someone wants to make the argument that recursive calls using
> __function__ are actually better in some way I am willing to
> filibuster.)

Such calls would be slightly faster by avoiding a name lookup, but 
avoiding *any* function call by using iteration should be faster yet. 
For linear recursion (at most one call per call), this is usually trivial.

In my book, I am stipulating that namespace manipulations that change 
the recursiveness of a function as written are 'forbidden' for the 
purpose of interpreting the code presented. This should be assumed or 
stated in other similar contexts.

This restricts the recursion use case to multiple recursion (possibly 
multiple calls per call) in production library code that is not easily 
converted to iteration, is not intended to be read by anyone other than 
maintainers, and that might or even is expected to be used in an adverse 
environment.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy