Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!gegeweb.org!de-l.enfer-du-nord.net!feeder2.enfer-du-nord.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.001 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'string.': 0.04; 'sure.': 0.05; 'behavior,': 0.07; 'terry': 0.07; 'clearly,': 0.09; 'subclass': 0.09; 'pm,': 0.10; ';-)': 0.14; 'wrote:': 0.14; 'activated.': 0.16; 'docstring': 0.16; 'inherited': 0.16; 'inheriting': 0.16; 'presumably,': 0.16; 'reedy': 0.16; 'uncommon': 0.16; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.17; 'language': 0.18; 'guess': 0.19; 'jan': 0.20; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.21; 'thu,': 0.22; 'cc:2**0': 0.22; 'cc:no real name:2**0': 0.23; 'interpreted': 0.23; '\xa0so': 0.23; 'expect': 0.25; 'url:mailman': 0.26; 'not.': 0.26; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.28; 'otherwise.': 0.29; 'subject:how': 0.29; 'subject:?': 0.29; 'explicitly': 0.29; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.30; 'url:listinfo': 0.30; 'carl': 0.30; 'implicitly': 0.30; 'received:209.85.215': 0.30; 'useless': 0.30; 'it.': 0.31; 'cases': 0.32; 'someone': 0.33; 'however,': 0.34; 'there': 0.35; 'idea': 0.36; 'received:google.com': 0.37; 'change': 0.37; 'received:209.85': 0.37; 'pretty': 0.37; 'url:python': 0.38; 'could': 0.38; 'url:org': 0.38; 'but': 0.38; 'subject:: ': 0.38; "i'd": 0.39; 'received:209': 0.39; 'empty': 0.39; 'help': 0.40; 'easily': 0.60; 'more': 0.60; 'kind': 0.60; 'your': 0.60; 'easily,': 0.73 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date :message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type :content-transfer-encoding; bh=FUqGH38Vn0hxVpkGXYpb7ZIBlFJnbSY+xB9jZRgzghA=; b=Ey6OcVciLDrynRXk+OF4CjMref52ynYkO8dN9CxGOGsQNtM3+qpFa8UG5UzRnVH68c IlnHYjDn9Y2QiV/GMU4232l7OPQ/ojFw7o/IPz3nObwrVWgqNL2qAxtnH5Nhu9vOsNQ9 ttqtwB9i+NjizHQB7wiyageHGREVs5EWtN8zQ= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=RhAmT99uCMjg7dxwEvS/zl+rNha1oB3/KtNo9n/NMIeD5Q6aEZPKk6vrDMaN0SjNdG +GR0wEQcNy5Y4nIcRzqGd7uOZrG6B/Qu56e+m54RHEA0mmzwJOFnMdmDoaIDXGBkTEnw 32dvPEuYOIuxtWbXWv7ShW2Xm+puUQaqadWtM= MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: <95cvmqF5b0U1@mid.individual.net> Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2011 22:41:12 -0600 Subject: Re: how to inherit docstrings? From: Eric Snow To: Terry Reedy Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Cc: python-list@python.org X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 34 NNTP-Posting-Host: 82.94.164.166 X-Trace: 1307680874 news.xs4all.nl 49047 [::ffff:82.94.164.166]:48495 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:7348 On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 9:59 PM, Terry Reedy wrote: > On 6/9/2011 9:12 PM, Carl Banks wrote: > >> Presumably, the reason you are overriding a method in a subclass is to >> change its behavior; I'd expect an inherited docstring to be inaccurate = more >> often than not. =A0So I'd be -1 on automatically inheriting them. >> >> However, I'd be +1 easily on a little help from the language to explicit= ly >> request to inherit the docstring. > > An empty docstring "" could be interpreted as 'ditto' ;-) > It would be useless otherwise. > I kind of like that. The only catch is for cases out there where someone used an empty string. Then it would change the behavior, maybe. But how uncommon that is, not sure. I would guess pretty uncommon. Whole implicitly inherit idea would require the empty docstring to say don't do it. With your idea you easily, clearly, and explicitly indicate that you want the inheritance activated. That would work for me. -eric > -- > Terry Jan Reedy > > -- > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list >