Re: [matplotlib-devel] Matplotlib property support

[Benjamin R. <ben...@ou...>]

On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 3:05 PM, Todd <tod...@gm...> wrote:

> On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 2:55 PM, Benjamin Root <ben...@ou...> wrote:
>
>>
>> On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 2:42 PM, Todd <tod...@gm...> wrote:
>>
>>> Currently matplotlib uses set_ and get_ functions for reading and
>>> writing values.  However, since 2.6 python supports properties, which allow
>>> access to such values as attributes in addition to using the functions
>>> directly.  Would it be worthwhile implementing property support in
>>> matplotlib?
>>>
>>>
>> This was actually discussed during a Birds of a Feather (BOF) meeting
>> back in SciPy2012 (which John Hunter attended).  I am definitely for the
>> idea, but it is going to be a very painful and long deprecation process.
>>
>> Is there a reason we have to deprecate the current method?   They are not
> mutually-exclusive.
>
>
But, then what is the gain of switching to the properties approach?
Properties allows you to clean up one's API, and also enables
code-execution upon get/sets.  We don't really have much of a need for the
latter, except in a few places.  I would see a move to properties as a way
to clean up our API back to the just the getp() setp() approach for
portability with matlab.

Note, I am a fan of moving to properties, but all of this will have to be
thought-out.

Ben Root