summaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/Doc/reference
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorAlex Waygood <Alex.Waygood@Gmail.com>2021-12-05 20:49:36 (GMT)
committerGitHub <noreply@github.com>2021-12-05 20:49:36 (GMT)
commitc0521fe49fd75e794a38a216813658ab40185834 (patch)
tree154196cbace6873f07b3f07debbeadf8f248ffcc /Doc/reference
parent2b318ce1c988b7b6e3caf293d55f289e066b6e0f (diff)
downloadcpython-c0521fe49fd75e794a38a216813658ab40185834.zip
cpython-c0521fe49fd75e794a38a216813658ab40185834.tar.gz
cpython-c0521fe49fd75e794a38a216813658ab40185834.tar.bz2
bpo-45840: Improve cross-references in the data model documentation (GH-29633)
Diffstat (limited to 'Doc/reference')
-rw-r--r--Doc/reference/datamodel.rst130
1 files changed, 76 insertions, 54 deletions
diff --git a/Doc/reference/datamodel.rst b/Doc/reference/datamodel.rst
index 4109245..597c8ec 100644
--- a/Doc/reference/datamodel.rst
+++ b/Doc/reference/datamodel.rst
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ Ellipsis
representation in computers.
The string representations of the numeric classes, computed by
- :meth:`__repr__` and :meth:`__str__`, have the following
+ :meth:`~object.__repr__` and :meth:`~object.__str__`, have the following
properties:
* They are valid numeric literals which, when passed to their
@@ -677,7 +677,8 @@ Callable types
returns an :term:`asynchronous iterator` object which can be used in an
:keyword:`async for` statement to execute the body of the function.
- Calling the asynchronous iterator's :meth:`aiterator.__anext__` method
+ Calling the asynchronous iterator's
+ :meth:`aiterator.__anext__ <object.__anext__>` method
will return an :term:`awaitable` which when awaited
will execute until it provides a value using the :keyword:`yield`
expression. When the function executes an empty :keyword:`return`
@@ -715,13 +716,13 @@ Callable types
Classes
Classes are callable. These objects normally act as factories for new
instances of themselves, but variations are possible for class types that
- override :meth:`__new__`. The arguments of the call are passed to
- :meth:`__new__` and, in the typical case, to :meth:`__init__` to
+ override :meth:`~object.__new__`. The arguments of the call are passed to
+ :meth:`__new__` and, in the typical case, to :meth:`~object.__init__` to
initialize the new instance.
Class Instances
Instances of arbitrary classes can be made callable by defining a
- :meth:`__call__` method in their class.
+ :meth:`~object.__call__` method in their class.
Modules
@@ -880,14 +881,14 @@ Class instances
section :ref:`descriptors` for another way in which attributes of a class
retrieved via its instances may differ from the objects actually stored in
the class's :attr:`~object.__dict__`. If no class attribute is found, and the
- object's class has a :meth:`__getattr__` method, that is called to satisfy
+ object's class has a :meth:`~object.__getattr__` method, that is called to satisfy
the lookup.
.. index:: triple: class instance; attribute; assignment
Attribute assignments and deletions update the instance's dictionary, never a
- class's dictionary. If the class has a :meth:`__setattr__` or
- :meth:`__delattr__` method, this is called instead of updating the instance
+ class's dictionary. If the class has a :meth:`~object.__setattr__` or
+ :meth:`~object.__delattr__` method, this is called instead of updating the instance
dictionary directly.
.. index::
@@ -1176,7 +1177,8 @@ Internal types
Slice objects
.. index:: builtin: slice
- Slice objects are used to represent slices for :meth:`__getitem__`
+ Slice objects are used to represent slices for
+ :meth:`~object.__getitem__`
methods. They are also created by the built-in :func:`slice` function.
.. index::
@@ -1229,7 +1231,8 @@ A class can implement certain operations that are invoked by special syntax
(such as arithmetic operations or subscripting and slicing) by defining methods
with special names. This is Python's approach to :dfn:`operator overloading`,
allowing classes to define their own behavior with respect to language
-operators. For instance, if a class defines a method named :meth:`__getitem__`,
+operators. For instance, if a class defines a method named
+:meth:`~object.__getitem__`,
and ``x`` is an instance of this class, then ``x[i]`` is roughly equivalent
to ``type(x).__getitem__(x, i)``. Except where mentioned, attempts to execute an
operation raise an exception when no appropriate method is defined (typically
@@ -1237,9 +1240,9 @@ operation raise an exception when no appropriate method is defined (typically
Setting a special method to ``None`` indicates that the corresponding
operation is not available. For example, if a class sets
-:meth:`__iter__` to ``None``, the class is not iterable, so calling
+:meth:`~object.__iter__` to ``None``, the class is not iterable, so calling
:func:`iter` on its instances will raise a :exc:`TypeError` (without
-falling back to :meth:`__getitem__`). [#]_
+falling back to :meth:`~object.__getitem__`). [#]_
When implementing a class that emulates any built-in type, it is important that
the emulation only be implemented to the degree that it makes sense for the
@@ -1789,7 +1792,8 @@ Invoking Descriptors
In general, a descriptor is an object attribute with "binding behavior", one
whose attribute access has been overridden by methods in the descriptor
-protocol: :meth:`__get__`, :meth:`__set__`, and :meth:`__delete__`. If any of
+protocol: :meth:`~object.__get__`, :meth:`~object.__set__`, and
+:meth:`~object.__delete__`. If any of
those methods are defined for an object, it is said to be a descriptor.
The default behavior for attribute access is to get, set, or delete the
@@ -1853,7 +1857,8 @@ Super Binding
For instance bindings, the precedence of descriptor invocation depends on
which descriptor methods are defined. A descriptor can define any combination
-of :meth:`__get__`, :meth:`__set__` and :meth:`__delete__`. If it does not
+of :meth:`~object.__get__`, :meth:`~object.__set__` and
+:meth:`~object.__delete__`. If it does not
define :meth:`__get__`, then accessing the attribute will return the descriptor
object itself unless there is a value in the object's instance dictionary. If
the descriptor defines :meth:`__set__` and/or :meth:`__delete__`, it is a data
@@ -1864,7 +1869,8 @@ descriptors have just the :meth:`__get__` method. Data descriptors with
instance dictionary. In contrast, non-data descriptors can be overridden by
instances.
-Python methods (including :func:`staticmethod` and :func:`classmethod`) are
+Python methods (including those decorated with
+:func:`@staticmethod <staticmethod>` and :func:`@classmethod <classmethod>`) are
implemented as non-data descriptors. Accordingly, instances can redefine and
override methods. This allows individual instances to acquire behaviors that
differ from other instances of the same class.
@@ -1879,46 +1885,50 @@ __slots__
^^^^^^^^^
*__slots__* allow us to explicitly declare data members (like
-properties) and deny the creation of *__dict__* and *__weakref__*
+properties) and deny the creation of :attr:`~object.__dict__` and *__weakref__*
(unless explicitly declared in *__slots__* or available in a parent.)
-The space saved over using *__dict__* can be significant.
+The space saved over using :attr:`~object.__dict__` can be significant.
Attribute lookup speed can be significantly improved as well.
.. data:: object.__slots__
This class variable can be assigned a string, iterable, or sequence of
strings with variable names used by instances. *__slots__* reserves space
- for the declared variables and prevents the automatic creation of *__dict__*
+ for the declared variables and prevents the automatic creation of
+ :attr:`~object.__dict__`
and *__weakref__* for each instance.
Notes on using *__slots__*
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
-* When inheriting from a class without *__slots__*, the *__dict__* and
+* When inheriting from a class without *__slots__*, the
+ :attr:`~object.__dict__` and
*__weakref__* attribute of the instances will always be accessible.
-* Without a *__dict__* variable, instances cannot be assigned new variables not
+* Without a :attr:`~object.__dict__` variable, instances cannot be assigned new
+ variables not
listed in the *__slots__* definition. Attempts to assign to an unlisted
variable name raises :exc:`AttributeError`. If dynamic assignment of new
variables is desired, then add ``'__dict__'`` to the sequence of strings in
the *__slots__* declaration.
* Without a *__weakref__* variable for each instance, classes defining
- *__slots__* do not support weak references to its instances. If weak reference
+ *__slots__* do not support :mod:`weak references <weakref>` to its instances.
+ If weak reference
support is needed, then add ``'__weakref__'`` to the sequence of strings in the
*__slots__* declaration.
-* *__slots__* are implemented at the class level by creating descriptors
- (:ref:`descriptors`) for each variable name. As a result, class attributes
+* *__slots__* are implemented at the class level by creating :ref:`descriptors <descriptors>`
+ for each variable name. As a result, class attributes
cannot be used to set default values for instance variables defined by
*__slots__*; otherwise, the class attribute would overwrite the descriptor
assignment.
* The action of a *__slots__* declaration is not limited to the class
where it is defined. *__slots__* declared in parents are available in
- child classes. However, child subclasses will get a *__dict__* and
+ child classes. However, child subclasses will get a :attr:`~object.__dict__` and
*__weakref__* unless they also define *__slots__* (which should only
contain names of any *additional* slots).
@@ -1934,14 +1944,17 @@ Notes on using *__slots__*
used; however, in the future, special meaning may be assigned to the values
corresponding to each key.
-* *__class__* assignment works only if both classes have the same *__slots__*.
+* :attr:`~instance.__class__` assignment works only if both classes have the
+ same *__slots__*.
-* Multiple inheritance with multiple slotted parent classes can be used,
+* :ref:`Multiple inheritance <tut-multiple>` with multiple slotted parent
+ classes can be used,
but only one parent is allowed to have attributes created by slots
(the other bases must have empty slot layouts) - violations raise
:exc:`TypeError`.
-* If an iterator is used for *__slots__* then a descriptor is created for each
+* If an :term:`iterator` is used for *__slots__* then a :term:`descriptor` is
+ created for each
of the iterator's values. However, the *__slots__* attribute will be an empty
iterator.
@@ -1950,7 +1963,7 @@ Notes on using *__slots__*
Customizing class creation
--------------------------
-Whenever a class inherits from another class, *__init_subclass__* is
+Whenever a class inherits from another class, :meth:`~object.__init_subclass__` is
called on that class. This way, it is possible to write classes which
change the behavior of subclasses. This is closely related to class
decorators, but where class decorators only affect the specific class they're
@@ -1991,7 +2004,7 @@ class defining the method.
When a class is created, :meth:`type.__new__` scans the class variables
-and makes callbacks to those with a :meth:`__set_name__` hook.
+and makes callbacks to those with a :meth:`~object.__set_name__` hook.
.. method:: object.__set_name__(self, owner, name)
@@ -2103,7 +2116,8 @@ Once the appropriate metaclass has been identified, then the class namespace
is prepared. If the metaclass has a ``__prepare__`` attribute, it is called
as ``namespace = metaclass.__prepare__(name, bases, **kwds)`` (where the
additional keyword arguments, if any, come from the class definition). The
-``__prepare__`` method should be implemented as a :func:`classmethod`. The
+``__prepare__`` method should be implemented as a
+:func:`classmethod <classmethod>`. The
namespace returned by ``__prepare__`` is passed in to ``__new__``, but when
the final class object is created the namespace is copied into a new ``dict``.
@@ -2401,31 +2415,36 @@ Emulating container types
-------------------------
The following methods can be defined to implement container objects. Containers
-usually are sequences (such as lists or tuples) or mappings (like dictionaries),
+usually are :term:`sequences <sequence>` (such as :class:`lists <list>` or
+:class:`tuples <tuple>`) or :term:`mappings <mapping>` (like
+:class:`dictionaries <dict>`),
but can represent other containers as well. The first set of methods is used
either to emulate a sequence or to emulate a mapping; the difference is that for
a sequence, the allowable keys should be the integers *k* for which ``0 <= k <
-N`` where *N* is the length of the sequence, or slice objects, which define a
+N`` where *N* is the length of the sequence, or :class:`slice` objects, which define a
range of items. It is also recommended that mappings provide the methods
:meth:`keys`, :meth:`values`, :meth:`items`, :meth:`get`, :meth:`clear`,
:meth:`setdefault`, :meth:`pop`, :meth:`popitem`, :meth:`!copy`, and
-:meth:`update` behaving similar to those for Python's standard dictionary
+:meth:`update` behaving similar to those for Python's standard :class:`dictionary <dict>`
objects. The :mod:`collections.abc` module provides a
:class:`~collections.abc.MutableMapping`
-abstract base class to help create those methods from a base set of
-:meth:`__getitem__`, :meth:`__setitem__`, :meth:`__delitem__`, and :meth:`keys`.
+:term:`abstract base class` to help create those methods from a base set of
+:meth:`~object.__getitem__`, :meth:`~object.__setitem__`, :meth:`~object.__delitem__`, and :meth:`keys`.
Mutable sequences should provide methods :meth:`append`, :meth:`count`,
:meth:`index`, :meth:`extend`, :meth:`insert`, :meth:`pop`, :meth:`remove`,
-:meth:`reverse` and :meth:`sort`, like Python standard list objects. Finally,
+:meth:`reverse` and :meth:`sort`, like Python standard :class:`list`
+objects. Finally,
sequence types should implement addition (meaning concatenation) and
-multiplication (meaning repetition) by defining the methods :meth:`__add__`,
-:meth:`__radd__`, :meth:`__iadd__`, :meth:`__mul__`, :meth:`__rmul__` and
-:meth:`__imul__` described below; they should not define other numerical
+multiplication (meaning repetition) by defining the methods
+:meth:`~object.__add__`, :meth:`~object.__radd__`, :meth:`~object.__iadd__`,
+:meth:`~object.__mul__`, :meth:`~object.__rmul__` and :meth:`~object.__imul__`
+described below; they should not define other numerical
operators. It is recommended that both mappings and sequences implement the
-:meth:`__contains__` method to allow efficient use of the ``in`` operator; for
+:meth:`~object.__contains__` method to allow efficient use of the ``in``
+operator; for
mappings, ``in`` should search the mapping's keys; for sequences, it should
search through the values. It is further recommended that both mappings and
-sequences implement the :meth:`__iter__` method to allow efficient iteration
+sequences implement the :meth:`~object.__iter__` method to allow efficient iteration
through the container; for mappings, :meth:`__iter__` should iterate
through the object's keys; for sequences, it should iterate through the values.
@@ -2838,7 +2857,8 @@ exception::
TypeError: object of type 'C' has no len()
The rationale behind this behaviour lies with a number of special methods such
-as :meth:`__hash__` and :meth:`__repr__` that are implemented by all objects,
+as :meth:`~object.__hash__` and :meth:`~object.__repr__` that are implemented
+by all objects,
including type objects. If the implicit lookup of these methods used the
conventional lookup process, they would fail when invoked on the type object
itself::
@@ -2861,7 +2881,7 @@ the instance when looking up special methods::
In addition to bypassing any instance attributes in the interest of
correctness, implicit special method lookup generally also bypasses the
-:meth:`__getattribute__` method even of the object's metaclass::
+:meth:`~object.__getattribute__` method even of the object's metaclass::
>>> class Meta(type):
... def __getattribute__(*args):
@@ -2885,7 +2905,7 @@ correctness, implicit special method lookup generally also bypasses the
>>> len(c) # Implicit lookup
10
-Bypassing the :meth:`__getattribute__` machinery in this fashion
+Bypassing the :meth:`~object.__getattribute__` machinery in this fashion
provides significant scope for speed optimisations within the
interpreter, at the cost of some flexibility in the handling of
special methods (the special method *must* be set on the class
@@ -2902,7 +2922,7 @@ Coroutines
Awaitable Objects
-----------------
-An :term:`awaitable` object generally implements an :meth:`__await__` method.
+An :term:`awaitable` object generally implements an :meth:`~object.__await__` method.
:term:`Coroutine objects <coroutine>` returned from :keyword:`async def` functions
are awaitable.
@@ -2910,7 +2930,7 @@ are awaitable.
The :term:`generator iterator` objects returned from generators
decorated with :func:`types.coroutine`
- are also awaitable, but they do not implement :meth:`__await__`.
+ are also awaitable, but they do not implement :meth:`~object.__await__`.
.. method:: object.__await__(self)
@@ -2929,7 +2949,7 @@ Coroutine Objects
-----------------
:term:`Coroutine objects <coroutine>` are :term:`awaitable` objects.
-A coroutine's execution can be controlled by calling :meth:`__await__` and
+A coroutine's execution can be controlled by calling :meth:`~object.__await__` and
iterating over the result. When the coroutine has finished executing and
returns, the iterator raises :exc:`StopIteration`, and the exception's
:attr:`~StopIteration.value` attribute holds the return value. If the
@@ -2948,7 +2968,7 @@ generators, coroutines do not directly support iteration.
Starts or resumes execution of the coroutine. If *value* is ``None``,
this is equivalent to advancing the iterator returned by
- :meth:`__await__`. If *value* is not ``None``, this method delegates
+ :meth:`~object.__await__`. If *value* is not ``None``, this method delegates
to the :meth:`~generator.send` method of the iterator that caused
the coroutine to suspend. The result (return value,
:exc:`StopIteration`, or other exception) is the same as when
@@ -2961,7 +2981,7 @@ generators, coroutines do not directly support iteration.
the coroutine to suspend, if it has such a method. Otherwise,
the exception is raised at the suspension point. The result
(return value, :exc:`StopIteration`, or other exception) is the same as
- when iterating over the :meth:`__await__` return value, described
+ when iterating over the :meth:`~object.__await__` return value, described
above. If the exception is not caught in the coroutine, it propagates
back to the caller.
@@ -3015,11 +3035,11 @@ An example of an asynchronous iterable object::
.. versionadded:: 3.5
.. versionchanged:: 3.7
- Prior to Python 3.7, ``__aiter__`` could return an *awaitable*
+ Prior to Python 3.7, :meth:`~object.__aiter__` could return an *awaitable*
that would resolve to an
:term:`asynchronous iterator <asynchronous iterator>`.
- Starting with Python 3.7, ``__aiter__`` must return an
+ Starting with Python 3.7, :meth:`~object.__aiter__` must return an
asynchronous iterator object. Returning anything else
will result in a :exc:`TypeError` error.
@@ -3062,8 +3082,9 @@ An example of an asynchronous context manager class::
controlled conditions. It generally isn't a good idea though, since it can
lead to some very strange behaviour if it is handled incorrectly.
-.. [#] The :meth:`__hash__`, :meth:`__iter__`, :meth:`__reversed__`, and
- :meth:`__contains__` methods have special handling for this; others
+.. [#] The :meth:`~object.__hash__`, :meth:`~object.__iter__`,
+ :meth:`~object.__reversed__`, and :meth:`~object.__contains__` methods have
+ special handling for this; others
will still raise a :exc:`TypeError`, but may do so by relying on
the behavior that ``None`` is not callable.
@@ -3074,5 +3095,6 @@ An example of an asynchronous context manager class::
*blocking* such fallback.
.. [#] For operands of the same type, it is assumed that if the non-reflected
- method -- such as :meth:`__add__` -- fails then the overall operation is not
+ method -- such as :meth:`~object.__add__` -- fails then the overall
+ operation is not
supported, which is why the reflected method is not called.