[Python-checkins] r67625 - python/branches/release30-maint/Doc/library/functions.rst

Sun Dec 7 02:24:52 CET 2008

Author: raymond.hettinger
Date: Sun Dec 7 02:24:52 2008
New Revision: 67625
Log:
Backport r67607 for Issue 1163367: Clarify docs for super().
Modified:
 python/branches/release30-maint/Doc/library/functions.rst
Modified: python/branches/release30-maint/Doc/library/functions.rst
==============================================================================

--- python/branches/release30-maint/Doc/library/functions.rst	(original)
+++ python/branches/release30-maint/Doc/library/functions.rst	Sun Dec 7 02:24:52 2008
@@ -1090,9 +1090,7 @@
 
 .. function:: super([type[, object-or-type]])
 
- .. XXX updated as per http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=208549 but needs checking
-
- Return a "super" object that acts like the superclass of *type*.
+ Return a *super* object that acts as a proxy to superclasses of *type*.
 
 If the second argument is omitted the super object returned is unbound. If
 the second argument is an object, ``isinstance(obj, type)`` must be true. If
@@ -1100,8 +1098,8 @@
 Calling :func:`super` without arguments is equivalent to ``super(this_class,
 first_arg)``.
 
- There are two typical use cases for "super". In a class hierarchy with
- single inheritance, "super" can be used to refer to parent classes without
+ There are two typical use cases for :func:`super`. In a class hierarchy with
+ single inheritance, :func:`super` can be used to refer to parent classes without
 naming them explicitly, thus making the code more maintainable. This use
 closely parallels the use of "super" in other programming languages.
 
@@ -1125,9 +1123,12 @@
 It does so by implementing its own :meth:`__getattribute__` method for searching
 parent classes in a predictable order that supports cooperative multiple inheritance.
 Accordingly, :func:`super` is undefined for implicit lookups using statements or
- operators such as ``super()[name]``. Also, :func:`super` is not
- limited to use inside methods: under the hood it searches the stack
- frame for the class (``__class__``) and the first argument.
+ operators such as ``super()[name]``.
+
+ Also note that :func:`super` is not limited to use inside methods. The
+ two argument specifies the arguments exactly and makes the appropriate
+ references. The zero argument form automatically searches the stack frame
+ for the class (``__class__``) and the first argument.
 
 
 .. function:: tuple([iterable])
