[ale] Py[t]hon syntax (sic)

[Benjamin Scherrey]

    By default all members of a class are public in python, yes. 
Unfortunately there is no concept like 'const' in C++ with python, just 
the idiom of making a property with no set method established. However, 
with the new decorator syntax recently introduced, it wouldn't be hard 
to make a @const decorator that would throw an exception or something 
when trying to write to that data. Unfortunately decorators can only be 
applied to functions, as I understand them, so you'd still need to use 
the property mechanism to establish it.

    FWIW - the concept of 'const correctness' in C++ is one that I've 
come to love and wish other languages would support it, especially 
python. The other thing missing from python is a parameterized type 
capability like C++ templates. You can fake it via the reflection 
capabilities of python but you're gonna pay a performance penalty 
whereas C++ templates are often a performance improvement.

    -- Ben Scherrey

Michael Hirsch wrote:

><google_search ... read .. > 
>
>Wow, that's pretty cool.  Is there a way to do it where you don't have
>to write the getter/setter?  So, if I'd like to have a variable exposed
>to read and write I don't need to do anything because by default
>everything is available outside the class.  But if I want a read only
>member, I need to setup a reader methods and declare it.  What I'd
>really like is declare a member read only, but not have to write
>accessor methods unless they are needed.  I didn't see that mentioned in
>any of the docs.  Did I miss it?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Michael
>
>
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