Implement an informative `BoundArguments.__repr__`

[cool-RR]

BPO	22547
Nosy	@terryjreedy, @ncoghlan, @larryhastings, @cool-RR, @serhiy-storchaka, @1st1
Files	BoundArguments_repr_alt.patch

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/1st1'
closed_at = <Date 2015-05-14.22:47:54.408>
created_at = <Date 2014-10-03.13:19:59.397>
labels = ['type-feature', 'library']
title = 'Implement an informative `BoundArguments.__repr__`'
updated_at = <Date 2015-05-15.16:42:36.815>
user = 'https://github.com/cool-RR'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2015-05-15.16:42:36.815>
actor = 'yselivanov'
assignee = 'yselivanov'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2015-05-14.22:47:54.408>
closer = 'yselivanov'
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2014-10-03.13:19:59.397>
creator = 'cool-RR'
dependencies = []
files = ['39380']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 22547
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 14.0
messages = ['228332', '228333', '228334', '228335', '228337', '228338', '228376', '228377', '228378', '228381', '243228', '243249', '243250', '243278']
nosy_count = 7.0
nosy_names = ['terry.reedy', 'ncoghlan', 'larry', 'cool-RR', 'python-dev', 'serhiy.storchaka', 'yselivanov']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue22547'
versions = ['Python 3.5']

[1st1]

Can you propose a format for it?

I'm not sure that including all arguments and their reprs is a good idea, as it will make BA's repr too long.

[cool-RR]

Something like <BoundArguments: foo=bar, boo=baz>

I have no problem with truncation when it gets too long.

[1st1]

How about we just list bound arguments names, without values?

[cool-RR]

Em, that kind of defeats the purpose of describing the object, doesn't it?

[1st1]

Yes and no ;)

You can have partially bound args, you can bind just one argument and use defaults for the rest, etc. I agree that it's not an ideal solution, but it is a sane compromise.

[cool-RR]

I think the point of __init__ is to know what the object is, and if you're hiding the values then someone has to access the attributes to find out the values and that sucks.

[terryjreedy]

Context: inspect.signature returns an inspect.Signature instance. Its .bind and .bind_partial methods return ab inspect.BoundArguments instance with a standard <...@ 0x...> representation.

>> import inspect
>> def foo(a, b=10): pass

>>> ba = inspect.signature(foo).bind(5)
>>> ba
<inspect.BoundArguments object at 0x0000000002C94080>

BAs already have 3 data access methods
>>> ba.arguments  # I believe this describes the object pretty fully
OrderedDict([('a', 5)])
>>> ba.args
(5,)
>>> ba.kwargs
{}

A possible proposal for this case would be <BoundArguments: a=5>. However, this contains the same info as ba.arguments but in a less accessible form.

Listing all parameters (and their default values if any) would be wrong as the additional info is not part of the object. The doc says to use Signature.parameters for full info, and it shows how to do that. So I am negative on the proposal.

[cool-RR]

Another thing I proposed in python-ideas is to have __getitem__ delegate to .arguments, so this proposal is similar in spirit, because I want to have __repr__ show information from .arguments.

To be honest I don't see the point in having to access .arguments manually for anything. BoundArguments is all about arguments. I don't see a reason to waste anyone's time with accessing an attribute on it to get to the arguments. There isn't much more to get on the thing. So this applies both to repr and getitem.

[1st1]

Another thing I proposed in python-ideas is to have __getitem__ delegate to .arguments, so this proposal is similar in spirit, because I want to have __repr__ show information from .arguments.

Big -1 on __getitem__

To be honest I don't see the point in having to access .arguments manually for anything. BoundArguments is all about arguments.

I agree. I'll take a look.

[terryjreedy]

.arguments returns a mutable (ordered) dict that can be modified. See the example in the doc
https://docs.python.org/3.4/library/inspect.html#inspect.BoundArguments

[python-dev]

New changeset a444464a2e87 by Yury Selivanov in branch 'default':
bpo-22547: Implement informative __repr__ for inspect.BoundArguments
https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/a444464a2e87