Ideally, a repr is close to an actual python expression that can be evaluated to obtain the object. A user might think that an object represented as:
VectorDomain(AtomDomain(T=i32))
could be constructed with something like:
dp.VectorDomain(dp.AtomDomain(T=dp.i32))
but they'd be wrong!
*** TypeError: 'DomainDescriptor' object is not callable
They actually want
dp.vector_domain(dp.atom_domain(T=dp.i32))
Is there a way to steer them onto the right course?
This is probably overthinking it, but would it be helpful to define a __call__ method, just to raise an exception?
Alternatively, could DomainDescriptors actually be used as the constructors, and we'd just get rid of dp.vector_domain etc.? Probably not feasible, but it might be the least surprising arrangement.
There's also something slightly non-standard about the way we use the term "constructor" -- I think a stricter definition would distinguish between constructors (called using the class name) and factory methods (which create new objects, but may hide from the caller the details of exactly what class is being instantiated.)
Ideally, a repr is close to an actual python expression that can be evaluated to obtain the object. A user might think that an object represented as:
could be constructed with something like:
but they'd be wrong!
They actually want
Is there a way to steer them onto the right course?
This is probably overthinking it, but would it be helpful to define a
__call__method, just to raise an exception?DomainDescriptorsactually be used as the constructors, and we'd just get rid ofdp.vector_domainetc.? Probably not feasible, but it might be the least surprising arrangement.