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diff Doc/tutorial/classes.rst @ 66457:a803fd841fd1 2.7

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Merged revisions 85617-85622,85624,85626-85627,85629,85631,85635-85636,85638-85639,85641-85642 via svnmerge from svn+ssh://pythondev@svn.python.org/python/branches/py3k ........ r85617 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:09:06 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #5212: md5 weaknesses do not affect hmac, so remove the note about that. ........ r85618 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:14:38 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #9086: correct wrong terminology about linking with pythonXY.dll. ........ r85619 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:15:50 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line Make file names consistent. ........ r85620 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:22:28 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line Remove second parser module example; it referred to non-readily-available example files, and this kind of discovery is much better done with the AST nowadays anyway. ........ r85621 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:24:54 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #9105: move pickle warning to a bit more prominent location. ........ r85622 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:28:04 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #9112: document error() and exit() methods of ArgumentParser. ........ r85624 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:34:28 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line Some markup and style fixes in argparse docs. ........ r85626 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:38:20 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #9117: fix syntax for class definition. ........ r85627 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:44:11 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #9138: reword introduction to classes in Python. ........ r85629 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:51:45 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #5962: clarify sys.exit() vs. threads. ........ r85631 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 12:53:54 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line Fix capitalization. ........ r85635 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 13:03:22 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #5121: fix claims about default values leading to segfaults. ........ r85636 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 13:06:14 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #9237: document sys.call_tracing(). ........ r85638 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 13:13:37 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line Port changes to pickle docs apparently lost in py3k. ........ r85639 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 13:23:56 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line Make twisted example a bit more logical. ........ r85641 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 13:29:07 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line Fix documentation of dis.opmap direction. ........ r85642 | georg.brandl | 2010-10-17 13:36:28 +0200 (So, 17 Okt 2010) | 1 line #9730: fix example. ........
author Georg Brandl <georg@python.org>
date Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:53:50 +0000
parents 595676e466c0
children b36cb4602e21
line wrap: on
line diff
--- a/Doc/tutorial/classes.rst	Fri Nov 26 07:42:15 2010 +0000
+++ b/Doc/tutorial/classes.rst	Fri Nov 26 07:53:50 2010 +0000
@@ -4,25 +4,26 @@
 Classes
 *******
 
-Python's class mechanism adds classes to the language with a minimum of new
-syntax and semantics.  It is a mixture of the class mechanisms found in C++ and
-Modula-3.  As is true for modules, classes in Python do not put an absolute
-barrier between definition and user, but rather rely on the politeness of the
-user not to "break into the definition."  The most important features of classes
-are retained with full power, however: the class inheritance mechanism allows
+Compared with other programming languages, Python's class mechanism adds classes
+with a minimum of new syntax and semantics.  It is a mixture of the class
+mechanisms found in C++ and Modula-3.  Python classes provide all the standard
+features of Object Oriented Programming: the class inheritance mechanism allows
 multiple base classes, a derived class can override any methods of its base
 class or classes, and a method can call the method of a base class with the same
-name.  Objects can contain an arbitrary amount of data.
+name.  Objects can contain arbitrary amounts and kinds of data.  As is true for
+modules, classes partake of the dynamic nature of Python: they are created at
+runtime, and can be modified further after creation.
 
-In C++ terminology, all class members (including the data members) are *public*,
-and all member functions are *virtual*.  As in Modula-3, there are no shorthands
-for referencing the object's members from its methods: the method function is
-declared with an explicit first argument representing the object, which is
-provided implicitly by the call.  As in Smalltalk, classes themselves are
-objects.  This provides semantics for importing and renaming.  Unlike C++ and
-Modula-3, built-in types can be used as base classes for extension by the user.
-Also, like in C++, most built-in operators with special syntax (arithmetic
-operators, subscripting etc.) can be redefined for class instances.
+In C++ terminology, normally class members (including the data members) are
+*public* (except see below :ref:`tut-private`), and all member functions are
+*virtual*.  As in Modula-3, there are no shorthands for referencing the object's
+members from its methods: the method function is declared with an explicit first
+argument representing the object, which is provided implicitly by the call.  As
+in Smalltalk, classes themselves are objects.  This provides semantics for
+importing and renaming.  Unlike C++ and Modula-3, built-in types can be used as
+base classes for extension by the user.  Also, like in C++, most built-in
+operators with special syntax (arithmetic operators, subscripting etc.) can be
+redefined for class instances.
 
 (Lacking universally accepted terminology to talk about classes, I will make
 occasional use of Smalltalk and C++ terms.  I would use Modula-3 terms, since