.. Copyright (C) 2001-2012 NLTK Project .. For license information, see LICENSE.TXT ========================================== Unit tests for the nltk.utilities module ========================================== overridden() ~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>> from nltk.internals import overridden The typical use case is in defining methods for an interface or abstract base class, in such a way that subclasses don't have to implement all of the methods: >>> class EaterI(object): ... '''Subclass must define eat() or batch_eat().''' ... def eat(self, food): ... if overridden(self.batch_eat): ... return self.batch_eat([food])[0] ... else: ... raise NotImplementedError() ... def batch_eat(self, foods): ... return [self.eat(food) for food in foods] As long as a subclass implements one method, it will be used to perform the other method: >>> class GoodEater1(EaterI): ... def eat(self, food): ... return 'yum' >>> GoodEater1().eat('steak') 'yum' >>> GoodEater1().batch_eat(['steak', 'peas']) ['yum', 'yum'] >>> class GoodEater2(EaterI): ... def batch_eat(self, foods): ... return ['yum' for food in foods] >>> GoodEater2().eat('steak') 'yum' >>> GoodEater2().batch_eat(['steak', 'peas']) ['yum', 'yum'] But if a subclass doesn't implement either one, then they'll get an error when they try to call them. (nb this is better than infinite recursion): >>> class BadEater1(EaterI): ... pass >>> BadEater1().eat('steak') Traceback (most recent call last): . . . NotImplementedError >>> BadEater1().batch_eat(['steak', 'peas']) Traceback (most recent call last): . . . NotImplementedError Trying to use the abstract base class itself will also result in an error: >>> class EaterI(EaterI): ... pass >>> EaterI().eat('steak') Traceback (most recent call last): . . . NotImplementedError >>> EaterI().batch_eat(['steak', 'peas']) Traceback (most recent call last): . . . NotImplementedError It's ok to use intermediate abstract classes: >>> class AbstractEater(EaterI): ... pass >>> class GoodEater3(AbstractEater): ... def eat(self, food): ... return 'yum' ... >>> GoodEater3().eat('steak') 'yum' >>> GoodEater3().batch_eat(['steak', 'peas']) ['yum', 'yum'] >>> class GoodEater4(AbstractEater): ... def batch_eat(self, foods): ... return ['yum' for food in foods] >>> GoodEater4().eat('steak') 'yum' >>> GoodEater4().batch_eat(['steak', 'peas']) ['yum', 'yum'] >>> class BadEater2(AbstractEater): ... pass >>> BadEater2().eat('steak') Traceback (most recent call last): . . . NotImplementedError >>> BadEater2().batch_eat(['steak', 'peas']) Traceback (most recent call last): . . . NotImplementedError Here's some extra tests: >>> class A(object): ... def f(x): pass >>> class B(A): ... def f(x): pass >>> class C(A): pass >>> class D(B): pass >>> overridden(A().f) False >>> overridden(B().f) True >>> overridden(C().f) False >>> overridden(D().f) True overridden() can be called on unbound methods as well: >>> overridden(A.f) False >>> overridden(B.f) True >>> overridden(C.f) False >>> overridden(D.f) True It works for classic classes, too: >>> class A: ... def f(x): pass >>> class B(A): ... def f(x): pass >>> class C(A): pass >>> class D(B): pass >>> overridden(A().f) False >>> overridden(B().f) True >>> overridden(C().f) False >>> overridden(D().f) True >>> overridden(A.f) False >>> overridden(B.f) True >>> overridden(C.f) False >>> overridden(D.f) True