I'm looking for some help in finding a term, it's not Python-specific but
does apply to some Python code.
This is an anti-pattern to avoid. The idea is that creating a resource
ought to be the same as "turning it on", or enabling it, or similar. For
example, we don't do this in Python:
f = file("some_file.txt")
f.open()
data = f.read()
because reading the file can fail if you forget to call open first.
Instead, Python uses a factory function that creates the file object and
opens it:
f = open("some_file.txt") # if this succeeds, f is ready to use
data = f.read()
Basically, any time you have two steps required for using an object, e.g.
like this:
obj = someobject(arg1, arg2)
obj.enable()
you should move the make-it-work functionality out of the enable method
and into __init__ so that creating the object creates it in a state ready
to work.
I read a blog some time ago (a year ago?) that discusses this anti-
pattern, and I'm pretty sure gave it a specific name, but I cannot find
it again. Can anyone find any references to this anti-pattern? My google-
fu is letting me down.
(For what it's worth, I'm refactoring some of my own code that falls into
this anti-pattern. Die, enable method, die die die!)
--
Steven
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