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Groups > comp.lang.python > #45200

Re: object.enable() anti-pattern

From Terry Jan Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu>
Subject Re: object.enable() anti-pattern
Date 2013-05-12 16:23 -0400
References (8 earlier) <518c7f8e$0$29997$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <Hm0jt.6$I26.5@newsfe26.iad> <518cd360$0$29997$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <kmiojk$12i$1@ger.gmane.org> <alpine.DEB.2.02.1305121124050.3322@gilgamesh>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Message-ID <mailman.1595.1368390250.3114.python-list@python.org> (permalink)

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On 5/12/2013 12:48 PM, Wayne Werner wrote:

> I'll share the anti-pattern that I've seen many times (not actually in
> Python)
>
>      class CoolPresenter:
>          def __init__(self):
>              self.view = None
>              self.some_property = None
>              self.other_property = None
>
>          def initialize(self):
>              self.view.disable()
>              data = self.load_data()
>              self.view.data = data
>              self.view.enable()
>
>
>          def reload(self):
>              if self.view is None:
>                  raise NotInitializedError("Error: Please setup class")
>              self.view.disable()
>              data = self.load_data()
>              self.view.data = data
>              self.view.enable()
>
>
>
> Then you would see code like this:
>
>      presenter = CoolPresenter()
>      presenter.view = CoolView()
>
> This is just plain silly for a few reasons:
>
>      - It's ambiguous. I don't know what's required for the CoolPresenter
>        to function properly.
>
>      - The temporal coupling mentioned earlier. I can create an instance of
>        a class and then call a function (say `reload`) and then boom! My
>        program crashes. There is *no possible* use case of this class where
>        you can use it without a view.

Thank you for this examples. It makes Steven's point clearer than the 
'file object' example. The problem with the latter is that objectors 
could could point to file path objects, which are used to do some 
manipulations of files and directory entries on the storage device 
*without looking at the specific file data*. Such file data, as opposed 
to directory data, never enters the program data space and with smart 
enough devices, need not enter the CPU and its RAM. They could then 
confuse them with file access objects which are used to transfer 
specific data *between* files and program data space. The confusion is 
adied by the fact that file path objects are used to create file access 
objects. They do separate jobs and it seems that they are well kept 
separate, even if there are languages where file path objects can have 
file access functions turned on and off.

> The motivation behind this anti-pattern that I've seen is the desire to
> not have a constructor that "does too much". So you end out with an
> empty constructor and temporal coupling, and a terrible API that doesn't
> clearly explain the requirements of the class. Your class constructor
> should *require* everything that is necessary to have a stable state
> when the class is created (i.e. you should be able to properly call any
> function, set any property without an exception happening)
>
> Why? Less bugs, easier to comprehend, change/update your code. Easier to
> use the class.


--
Terry Jan Reedy


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Thread

object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-08 08:52 +0000
  Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Christian Heimes <christian@python.org> - 2013-05-08 11:51 +0200
  Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2013-05-08 11:13 +0100
    Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-08 12:30 +0000
  Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-08 09:17 -0400
  Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Duncan Booth <duncan.booth@invalid.invalid> - 2013-05-08 14:27 +0000
    Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Dan Sommers <dan@tombstonezero.net> - 2013-05-09 02:38 +0000
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-09 05:37 +0000
        Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-09 15:52 +1000
    Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-09 03:12 +0000
  Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Dan Sommers <dan@tombstonezero.net> - 2013-05-09 02:42 +0000
    Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-09 05:23 +0000
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Terry Jan Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2013-05-09 02:41 -0400
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-05-09 19:54 +1200
        Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> - 2013-05-09 18:23 +1000
          Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-09 11:30 +0000
            Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> - 2013-05-10 09:36 +1000
              Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-10 05:00 +0000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-10 01:50 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-10 09:47 +0000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-10 09:22 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> - 2013-05-11 08:25 +1000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 20:16 -0700
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Thomas Rachel <nutznetz-0c1b6768-bfa9-48d5-a470-7603bd3aa915@spamschutz.glglgl.de> - 2013-05-11 06:21 +0200
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 21:00 -0700
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2013-05-11 15:04 -0400
        Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Greg Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-05-10 10:56 +1200
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-09 09:07 -0400
        Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Oscar Benjamin <oscar.j.benjamin@gmail.com> - 2013-05-09 14:51 +0100
        Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-09 18:21 +0000
          Re: object.enable() anti-pattern MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2013-05-09 19:34 +0100
            Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-10 02:30 +0000
              Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-09 23:09 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-05-09 20:19 -0700
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 13:46 +1000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-10 05:03 +0000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Dan Sommers <dan@tombstonezero.net> - 2013-05-10 06:22 +0000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-10 11:00 +0000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 13:19 +0100
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-10 10:01 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Oscar Benjamin <oscar.j.benjamin@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 15:29 +0100
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-10 10:37 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-11 00:46 +1000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-10 10:54 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-11 01:09 +1000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-10 11:21 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-11 01:44 +1000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 16:33 +0100
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Serhiy Storchaka <storchaka@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 18:44 +0300
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern André Malo <ndparker@gmail.com> - 2013-05-11 17:33 +0200
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-12 02:04 +1000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 18:20 +0100
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-11 07:51 +0000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-11 09:31 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2013-05-11 20:55 +0100
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-12 08:39 +1000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-11 03:24 +1000
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 19:43 -0700
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Wayne Werner <wayne@waynewerner.com> - 2013-05-12 11:48 -0500
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Terry Jan Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2013-05-12 16:23 -0400
                Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-05-09 20:51 -0700
              Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 13:08 +1000
          Re: object.enable() anti-pattern roy@panix.com (Roy Smith) - 2013-05-09 14:59 -0400
            Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-10 07:55 +1000
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2013-05-10 17:59 +0100
        Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-10 13:32 -0400
          Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2013-05-11 15:24 -0400
        Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-11 07:05 +0000
  Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-05-08 19:53 -0700
  Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-05-08 19:56 -0700
  Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Wayne Werner <wayne@waynewerner.com> - 2013-05-09 06:08 -0500
    Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-05-09 11:51 +0000
    Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-05-10 11:43 +1200
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Michael Speer <knomenet@gmail.com> - 2013-05-09 20:18 -0400
        Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-05-09 20:50 -0400
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Wayne Werner <wayne@waynewerner.com> - 2013-05-12 12:14 -0500
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Terry Jan Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2013-05-12 16:03 -0400
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Greg Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-05-13 11:18 +1200
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Fábio Santos <fabiosantosart@gmail.com> - 2013-05-13 07:32 +0100
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-05-13 17:36 +1000
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Fábio Santos <fabiosantosart@gmail.com> - 2013-05-13 09:09 +0100
      Re: object.enable() anti-pattern Wayne Werner <wayne@waynewerner.com> - 2013-05-13 08:15 -0500

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