[Python-ideas] Keyword only argument on function call

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Tue, Sep 11, 2018 at 08:53:55PM +1000, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
[...]
> Or perhaps we could have an officially blessed way to give tools a hint 
> as to what the real signature is.
> 
> class Child(Parent):
>     @signature_hint(Parent.method)
>     def method(self, **kwargs):
>         pass

Here's an untested implementation:


import inspect

def signature_hint(callable_or_sig, *, follow_wrapped=True):
    if isinstance(callable_or_sig, inspect.Signature):
        sig = callable_or_sig
    else:
        sig = inspect.signature(callable_or_sig, follow_wrapped=follow_wrapped)
    def decorator(func):
        func.__signature_hint__ = sig
        return func
    return decorator


inspect.signature would need to become aware of these hints too:

def f(a, b=1, c=2):
    pass

@signature_hint(f)
def g(*args):
    pass

@signature_hint(g)
def h(*args):
    pass


At this point h.__signature_hint__ ought to give

<Signature (a, b=1, c=2)>

(Note that this is not quite the same as the existing follow_wrapped 
argument of inspect.signature.)


This doesn't directly help Ander's problem of having to make calls like

    func(a=a, b=b, c=c)  # apologies for the toy example

but at least it reduces the pain of needing to Repeat Yourself when 
overriding methods, which indirectly may help in some (but not all) of 
Ander's cases.



-- 
Steve