Emulating Python Inheritance Manually

K

Kamilche

"""
Emulating Python inheritance manually.

By loading it from disk at run time, you can create new custom types
without programmer intervention, and reload them on demand,
without breaking anything. The only time programmer intervention
is required, is when new functions are added.

It works well for data... I can use 'chicken.color' to access that
attribute, but not for functions. I can't say 'chicken.printme()',
I have to say 'chicken.do('printme') instead.
It can look up the function OK, but the 'chicken.print()' isn't
passing the 'self' argument to the function, which results in
one argument too few being sent to the function.
Does anyone have a way around this problem?
"""

import sys
import types

master = {}
masterbysortid = {}
functions = {}
__classctr = 0

# Unbound methods

def base_print(self, *args):
print "# This is a base print function", self

def custom_print(self, *args):
print "# Hey! Custom print function, unrelated to a class", self

def animal_print(self, *args):
print "# This is the animal print function", self

def horse_print(self, *args):
print "# This is the horse print function", self

def chicken_print(self, *args):
print "# This is the chicken print function", self

def animal_speak(self, *args):
print "# Generic animal speak:", text

def chicken_speak(self, **args):
print "# Squawk!", args['text']


# Classes

class CreateObject:

def __init__(self, args):
' Constructor'
if args == None:
raise 'Invalid type!'
if type(args) != type({}):
raise 'Invalid argument!'
if not args.has_key('TYPE'):
raise 'Missing type!'
typename = args['TYPE']
if not master.has_key(typename):
raise 'Unknown type ' + typename + '!'
self.__dict__.update(args)

def do(self, event, **args):
fn = getattr(self, event)
if callable(fn):
fn(self, **args)
else:
raise "Can't call '" + str(fn) + "'! Make sure it's
registered via RegisterFunctions!"

def update(self, args):
if args == None:
raise 'Invalid type!'
if type(args) != type({}):
raise 'Invalid argument!'
self.__dict__.update(args)

def data(self):
return self.__dict__

def __str__(self):
' Return a printable version of the data'
return str(self.__dict__)

def printattrs(self, prefix):
for key, value in self.__dict__.items():
print prefix, key, value

def __getattr__(self, name):
' Look for the data in the inherited type, if it doesnt
exist.'
# Look for the data in the object instance
m = self
if m.__dict__.has_key(name):
return m.__dict__[name]
else:
# Look for the data in the object class
typename = m.__dict__['TYPE']
m = master[typename]
if m.__dict__.has_key(name):
return m.__dict__[name]
else:
# Look for the object in the inherited class
typename = m.__dict__['INHERITS']
if typename == None:
raise AttributeError, name
else:
m = master[typename]
if m.__dict__.has_key(name):
return m.__dict__[name]
else:
raise AttributeError, name



def RegisterType(args):
global master
global __classctr

# Ensure they passed in arguments
if args == None:
raise 'Invalid type!'

# Ensure they passed in a dictionary
if type(args) != type({}):
raise 'Invalid argument!'

# Ensure the dictionary included a 'TYPE' entry
if not args.has_key('TYPE'):
raise 'Missing type!'

# Extract the type
typename = args['TYPE']

# Ensure the type doesn't already exist
if master.has_key(typename):
raise 'Type ' + typename + ' already exists!'

if not args.has_key('INHERITS'):
# Inherit from BASE, if no supertype specified
if typename == 'BASE':
inherits = None
else:
inherits = 'BASE'
args['INHERITS'] = inherits
else:
# Inherit from another type
inherits = args['INHERITS']
if not master.has_key(inherits):
raise "Can't inherit from invalid type " + inherits + "!"

# Replace function names with function pointers
for (key, value) in args.items():
if type(value) == type("") and functions.has_key(value):
args[key] = functions[value]


# Add it to the master
master[typename] = None
if not inherits:
m = {}
else:
m = master[inherits].data()
__classctr += 1
m.update(args)
c = CreateObject(m)
c.__sortid = __classctr
master[typename] = c
masterbysortid[__classctr] = typename

def RegisterFunctions(args):
if args == None:
raise 'Invalid type!'
if type(args) != type([0]):
raise 'Invalid argument!'
for f in args:
name = f.__name__
if functions.has_key(name):
raise 'Function already exists!'
functions[name] = f

# Testing
def Test():
RegisterFunctions([animal_speak, base_print, animal_print,
horse_print, chicken_print, chicken_speak])

RegisterType({'TYPE': 'BASE', \
'NAME': 'Base Object', \
'printme': 'base_print'})
RegisterType({'TYPE': 'ANIMAL', \
'NAME': 'Generic Animal', \
'printme': 'animal_print', \
'speak': 'animal_speak'})
RegisterType({'TYPE': 'HORSE', \
'INHERITS': 'ANIMAL', \
'NAME': 'Horse', \
'printme': 'horse_print'})
RegisterType({'TYPE': 'CHICKEN', \
'INHERITS': 'ANIMAL', \
'name': 'Chicken', \
'speak': 'chicken_speak', \
'color': 'white', \
'printme': 'chicken_print'})

print '#\tFunctions:'
for key, value in functions.items():
print '#\t', key, '\t', value

print '#\tMaster:'
keys = masterbysortid.keys()
keys.sort()
for key in keys:
k = masterbysortid[key]
print '#\t', k
value = master[k]
value.printattrs('#\t\t')


obj1 = CreateObject({'TYPE': 'BASE', 'x': 1, 'y': 2})
obj2 = CreateObject({'TYPE': 'BASE', 'x': 1, 'y': 2, 'z': 3,
'printme': custom_print})
chicken = CreateObject({'TYPE': 'CHICKEN', 'name': 'Chicken
Little'})

print "# Chicken:", chicken
print "# OK, let's see if this works now:"
print "# Chicken color:", chicken.color
chicken.do('speak', text = "I'm squawking here!")
chicken.do('printme')
# What I would like to do, is this:
# chicken.printme()
chicken.do('speak', text = "I would really like to say
'chicken.printme()' instead. Can I?")


# Startup routine
if __name__ == "__main__":
Test()

# Sample output
# Functions:
# chicken_print <function chicken_print at 0x01F005B8>
# animal_speak <function animal_speak at 0x00B687C0>
# horse_print <function horse_print at 0x01A15100>
# base_print <function base_print at 0x02000180>
# animal_print <function animal_print at 0x01FB61C8>
# chicken_speak <function chicken_speak at 0x01357558>
# Master:
# BASE
# INHERITS BASE
# __sortid 1
# NAME Generic Animal
# TYPE ANIMAL
# printme <function animal_print at 0x01FB61C8>
# speak <function animal_speak at 0x00B687C0>
# ANIMAL
# INHERITS ANIMAL
# NAME Horse
# color white
# printme <function chicken_print at 0x01F005B8>
# name Chicken
# __sortid 2
# TYPE CHICKEN
# speak <function chicken_speak at 0x01357558>
# HORSE
# INHERITS ANIMAL
# __sortid 3
# NAME Horse
# TYPE HORSE
# printme <function horse_print at 0x01A15100>
# speak <function animal_speak at 0x00B687C0>
# CHICKEN
# INHERITS ANIMAL
# __sortid 4
# NAME Horse
# color white
# TYPE CHICKEN
# speak <function chicken_speak at 0x01357558>
# printme <function chicken_print at 0x01F005B8>
# name Chicken
# Chicken: {'TYPE': 'CHICKEN', 'name': 'Chicken Little'}
# OK, let's see if this works now:
# Chicken color: white
# Squawk! I'm squawking here!
# This is the chicken print function {'TYPE': 'CHICKEN', 'name':
'Chicken Little'}
# Squawk! I would really like to say 'chicken.printme()' instead. Can
I?
 

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