Commit d1d59977 authored by Fred Drake's avatar Fred Drake

Note that the UserString/MutableString classes are far less efficient

than the built-in string types (suggested by Moshe Zadka
<moshez@math.huji.ac.il>).

Clarified what "can be converted to a string" means.

Fixed a few markup nits.
parent f6ab4bcb
...@@ -92,23 +92,26 @@ methods which need to be provided in that case. ...@@ -92,23 +92,26 @@ methods which need to be provided in that case.
\moduleauthor{Peter Funk}{pf@artcom-gmbh.de} \moduleauthor{Peter Funk}{pf@artcom-gmbh.de}
\sectionauthor{Peter Funk}{pf@artcom-gmbh.de} \sectionauthor{Peter Funk}{pf@artcom-gmbh.de}
This module defines a class that acts as a wrapper around This module defines a class that acts as a wrapper around string
string objects. It is a useful base class for objects. It is a useful base class for your own string-like classes,
your own string-like classes, which can inherit from which can inherit from them and override existing methods or add new
them and override existing methods or add new ones. In this way one ones. In this way one can add new behaviors to strings.
can add new behaviors to strings.
The \module{UserString} module defines the \class{UserString} class: It should be noted that these classes are highly inefficient compared
to real string or Unicode objects; this is especially the case for
\class{MutableString}.
The \module{UserString} module defines the following classes:
\begin{classdesc}{UserString}{\optional{sequence}} \begin{classdesc}{UserString}{\optional{sequence}}
Return a class instance that simulates a string or a Unicode string object. Return a class instance that simulates a string or a Unicode string
The instance's content is kept in a regular string or Unicode string object. The instance's content is kept in a regular string or Unicode
object, which is accessible via the string object, which is accessible via the \member{data} attribute of
\member{data} attribute of \class{UserString} instances. The instance's \class{UserString} instances. The instance's contents are initially
contents are initially set to a copy of \var{sequence}. set to a copy of \var{sequence}. \var{sequence} can be either a
\var{sequence} can be either a regular Python string or Unicode string, regular Python string or Unicode string, an instance of
an instance of \class{UserString} (or a subclass) or an arbitrary sequence \class{UserString} (or a subclass) or an arbitrary sequence which can
which can be converted into a string. be converted into a string using the built-in \function{str()} function.
\end{classdesc} \end{classdesc}
\begin{classdesc}{MutableString}{\optional{sequence}} \begin{classdesc}{MutableString}{\optional{sequence}}
...@@ -117,14 +120,15 @@ strings to be \emph{mutable}. Mutable strings can't be used as ...@@ -117,14 +120,15 @@ strings to be \emph{mutable}. Mutable strings can't be used as
dictionary keys, because dictionaries require \emph{immutable} objects as dictionary keys, because dictionaries require \emph{immutable} objects as
keys. The main intention of this class is to serve as an educational keys. The main intention of this class is to serve as an educational
example for inheritance and necessity to remove (override) the example for inheritance and necessity to remove (override) the
\function{__hash__} method in order to trap attempts to use a \method{__hash__()} method in order to trap attempts to use a
mutable object as dictionary key, which would be otherwise very mutable object as dictionary key, which would be otherwise very
error prone and hard to track down. error prone and hard to track down.
\end{classdesc} \end{classdesc}
In addition to supporting the methods and operations of string or In addition to supporting the methods and operations of string and
Unicode objects (see section \ref{typesseq}), \class{UserString} instances Unicode objects (see section \ref{string-methods}, ``String
provide the following attribute: Methods''), \class{UserString} instances provide the following
attribute:
\begin{memberdesc}{data} \begin{memberdesc}{data}
A real Python string or Unicode object used to store the content of the A real Python string or Unicode object used to store the content of the
......
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