Python allows programmers to pass additional arguments to functions via comments. Now armed with this knowledge head out and spread it to all code bases.

Feel free to use the code I wrote in your projects.

Link to the source code: https://github.com/raldone01/python_lessons_py/blob/v2.0.0/lesson_0_comments.ipynb

Image transcription:

# First we have to import comment_arguments from arglib
# Sadly arglib is not yet a standard library.
from arglib import comment_arguments


def add(*args, **kwargs):
    c_args, c_kwargs = comment_arguments()
    return sum([int(i) for i in args + c_args])


# Go ahead and change the comments.
# See how they are used as arguments.

result = add()  # 1, 2
print(result)
# comment arguments can be combined with normal function arguments
result = add(1, 2)  # 3, 4
print(result)

Output:

3
10

This is version v2.0.0 of the post: https://github.com/raldone01/python_lessons_py/tree/v2.0.0

Note:

v1.0.0 of the post can be found here: https://github.com/raldone01/python_lessons_py/tree/v1.0.0

Choosing lib as the name for my module was a bit devious. I did it because I thought if I am creating something cursed why not go all the way?

Regarding misinformation:

I thought simply posting this in programmer humor was enough. Anyways, the techniques shown here are not yet regarded best practice. Decide carefully if you want to apply the shown concepts in your own code bases.

  • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    24
    ·
    1 month ago

    yeah frankly this post is borderline misinformation, they specifically import a library to read comments as arguments, it’s like redefining keywords in C and complaining about C being dumb

      • bastion@feddit.nl
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        29 days ago

        Yeah. ‘lib’ isn’t a standard Python library, it’s the name of the abomination that this person created. Since python has quite a bit of useful introspection, they can do something like:

        • get the stack
        • find the exact call to abomination.add()
        • reparse the text of that line, turn the text of the comment into actual numbers, and add them

        Now, I don’t know if python keeps the comments around, so it may involve getting the filename and line number, reading the file, and manually extracting the comment text from that line.

        • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          edit-2
          29 days ago

          It’s not even actually called lib. The line just straight up isn’t in the image “transcribed”, and it’s from arglib import comment_arguments in the original code.

          Yeah, I gave this one a downvote.

          • raldone01@lemmy.worldOP
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            27 days ago

            I updated the source after this post was made. The image transcription still holds. I did not update the image and the post text.

            You can view the git history. I will tag the specific commit at the time of the post later and update it accordingly.

            • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              27 days ago

              Ah, and you’re the author. That kind of changes the whole context here.

              It doesn’t mean much, but have your upvote back.