[THRIFT-242] Python struct constructors are clunky and error-prone

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Component/s: Python - Compiler
• Patch Info: Patch Available
• Assignee: Esteve Fernandez
• Reporter: Jonathan Ellis
• Created: 24/Dec/08 17:25
• Updated: 01/Nov/11 02:52
• Resolved: 14/Jan/09 23:03

Description

The python constructors are clunky and unnecessarily difficult to use. Instead of

Cls(value1, value2, ...)

you must write

Cls(

{'arg1': value1, 'arg2': value2}

)

(or use the dict constructor instead of literal notation).

Additionally, having the constructor silently do nothing if a non-dict is passed in (an object of the type being created would be another reasonable guess) or if an argument is mis-spelled causes users unnecessary trouble debugging.

Since removing the d argument entirely would be backwards-incompatible, the attached patch keeps it, but puts real keyword parameters in for forwards-compatibility. Thus, old code will work with this patch, but new code can be written using keyword args that will still work when the d argument is removed in a release that allows backwards-incompatibility. (Removing the d argument is desireable because otherwise positional arguments can't be used.)