[PEAK] 'Categories' in Python

[Andy Gross]

> Your implementation is backwards.  Categories are added to existing 
> classes without their consent.  Don't call what you're doing 
> categories.

You're right, I was reading the Objective-C specs wrong.  However, the 
specific use case I have requires the consent of the class.  It needs 
to define 'categories' - methods that typically operate on one two data 
members of the class.  Can you think of a better name, or a better way 
to think about this?

> Also, it's not really useful to distinguish between methods that a 
> class originally had, and the methods they acquired from a category.

Maybe not enough to warrant an extra decorator, but if you wanted to 
define rules for resolving name conflicts between category methods and 
normal methods, it might be helpful.  Point taken, though.

>
> This is an implementation of Category that works in Objective-C terms:

That looks a lot nicer! (this is my first real metaclass exercise).   
But I'd like a general facility for classes to define categories (or 
whatever they should be called) under which they can be extended.   A 
mechanism that could encompass both concepts with an appropriate name 
would be ideal.  Mulling it over...

/arg