On Sat, Jan 31, 2009 at 9:08 AM, <thmpsn....@gmail.com> wrote: > On Jan 30, 12:15 am, Chris Rebert <c...@rebertia.com> wrote: >> - Python supports encapsulation. Prefixing an attribute/method with an >> underscore indicates that other programmers should treat it as >> 'private'. However, unlike B&D languages, Python itself does nothing >> to enforce this privacy, leaving it instead to the good judgement of >> the programmer, under the philosophy that "We're all consenting adults >> here". > > How do you know? (I know I'm not.) > > Seriously, though, the lack of private members does allow for ugly > hacks in user code, and you know there are always ugly hackers.
Marc already addressed your points excellently, but I'll add that I once read somewhere (can't be bothered to find the source, PG maybe?) that mediocre programming languages are designed for average programmers and presume the language designers are smarter than the programmer, whereas the truly great languages are designed for great programmers and presume that the programmer is smarter than (or at least knows better than) the designer. This allows smart programmers using great languages to say: "I don't like X about the language, I think I'll change it" or "The language needs Y, I'll add it". For example, see the amazing magic some Python people have worked using metaclasses. Whereas smart programmers using a mediocre language are stuck: "I don't like X about the language and there's nothing I can do about it short of hacking the language implementation. Darn. Now I'm going to have to write Y lines every time I want to workaround X since the language doesn't let me factor the solution out any further! (sigh)". For example, consider looping through an array in Java before the new 'for' statement was added. Therefore, Python wisely chooses to not give a damn about how "ugly hackers" may abuse the language; they'll abuse *any* language they get their grubby mitts on; just let them and their ugly code quietly rot in the corner while the elite are allowed by the language the extra leeway they need to write their code masterpieces, which the common people can then use to improve their programs. Not that I'm saying any of us are necessarily elite; just don't be /particularly/ stupid by using anything *clearly marked* with an initial underscore without *extremely* good reason. And this isn't to say the language shouldn't take average programmers into account; just don't overly restrict the the 90% that are decent programmers in the name of trying to save the bottom 10% from themselves (it's rather like the "Save the Children!" retort on /.) Cheers, Chris -- Follow the path of the Iguana... http://rebertia.com -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
