Added stuff about classes and instances, plus some smaller changes.
diff --git a/Doc/ref.tex b/Doc/ref.tex
index 61fe0db..a6c2876 100644
--- a/Doc/ref.tex
+++ b/Doc/ref.tex
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
-% Format this file with latex.
-
\documentstyle[11pt,myformat]{report}
-\title{\bf
- Python Reference Manual
-}
-
+\title{\bf Python Reference Manual}
+
\author{
Guido van Rossum \\
Dept. CST, CWI, Kruislaan 413 \\
@@ -487,11 +483,20 @@
\chapter{The standard type hierarchy}
-The following types are built into Python. Extension modules
-written in C can define additional types. Future versions of Python
-may also add types to the type hierarchy (e.g., rational or complex
+Below is a list of the types that are built into Python. Extension
+modules written in C can define additional types. Future versions of
+Python may add types to the type hierarchy (e.g., rational or complex
numbers, lists of efficiently stored integers, etc.).
+Some type descriptions contain a paragraph listing `special
+attributes'. These are attributes that provide access to the
+implementation and are not intended for general use. Their definition
+may change in the future. There are also some `generic' special
+attributes, not listed with the individual objects: \verb\__methods__\
+is a list of the method names of a built-in object, if it has any;
+\verb\__members__\ is a list of the data attribute names of a built-in
+object, if it has any.
+
\begin{description}
\item[None]
@@ -648,10 +653,10 @@
\begin{description}
\item[User-defined functions]
-A user-defined function is created by a function definition (starting
-with the \verb\def\ keyword). It should be called with an argument
-list containing the same number of items as the function's
-formal parameter list.
+A user-defined function is created by a function definition (see
+section \ref{function}). It should be called with an argument list
+containing the same number of items as the function's formal parameter
+list.
Special read-only attributes: \verb\func_code\ is the code object
representing the compiled function body, and \verb\func_globals\ is (a
@@ -692,23 +697,53 @@
\end{description}
\item[Modules]
-A module object is a container for a module's name space, which is a
-dictionary (the same dictionary as referenced by the
+Modules are imported by the \verb\import\ statement (see section
+\ref{import}). A module object is a container for a module's name
+space, which is a dictionary (the same dictionary as referenced by the
\ver\func_globals\ attribute of functions defined in the module).
Module attribute references are translated to lookups in this
dictionary. A module object does not contain the code object used to
initialize the module (since it isn't needed once the initialization
is done).
-There are two special read-only attributes: \verb\__dict__\ yields the
-module's name space as a dictionary object; \verb\__name__\ yields the
-module's name.
+Attribute assignment update the module's name space dictionary.
+
+Special read-only attributes: \verb\__dict__\ yields the module's name
+space as a dictionary object; \verb\__name__\ yields the module's name.
\item[Classes]
-XXX
+Class objects are created by class definitions (see section
+\ref{class}). A class is a container for a dictionary containing the
+class's name space. Class attribute references are translated to
+lookups in this dictionary. When an attribute name is not found
+there, the attribute search continues in the base classes. The search
+is depth-first, left-to-right in the order of their occurrence in the
+base class list.
+
+Attribute assignments update the class's dictionary, never the
+dictionary of a base class.
+
+A class can be called as a parameterless function to yield a class
+instance (see above).
+
+Special read-only attributes: \verb\__dict__\ yields te dictionary
+containing the class's name space; \verb\__bases__\ yields a tuple
+(possibly empty or a singleton) containing the base classes, in the
+order of their occurrence in the base class list.
\item[Class instances]
-XXX
+A class instance is created by calling a class object as a
+parameterless function. A class instance has a dictionary in which
+attribute references are searched. When an attribute is not found
+there, and the instance's class has an attribute by that name, and
+that class attribute is a user-defined function (and in no other
+cases), the instance attribute reference yields a user-defined method
+object (see above) constructed from the instance and the function.
+
+Attribute assignments update the instance's dictionary.
+
+Special read-only attributes: \verb\__dict__\ yields the attribute
+dictionary; \verb\__class__\ yields the instance's class.
\item[Files]
A file object represents an open file. (It is a wrapper around a C
@@ -1587,7 +1622,7 @@
It continues with the next cycle of the nearest enclosing loop.
-\section{The {\tt import} statement}
+\section{The {\tt import} statement} \label{import}
\begin{verbatim}
import_stmt: "import" identifier ("," identifier)*
@@ -1646,7 +1681,7 @@
implementations may enforce them or silently change the meaning of the
program.)
-\section{The {\tt global} statement}
+\section{The {\tt global} statement} \label{global}
\begin{verbatim}
global_stmt: "global" identifier ("," identifier)*
@@ -1842,9 +1877,9 @@
reason is a problem with the current implementation -- this
restriction may be lifted in the future).
+\section{Function definitions} \label{function}
-
-\section{Function definitions}
+XXX
\begin{verbatim}
funcdef: "def" identifier "(" [parameter_list] ")" ":" suite
@@ -1852,13 +1887,21 @@
parameter: identifier | "(" parameter_list ")"
\end{verbatim}
-\section{Class definitions}
+XXX
+
+\section{Class definitions} \label{class}
+
+XXX
\begin{verbatim}
classdef: "class" identifier [inheritance] ":" suite
inheritance: "(" expression ("," expression)* ")"
\end{verbatim}
+XXX
+
+\section{P.M.}
+
XXX Syntax for scripts, modules
XXX Syntax for interactive input, eval, exec, input
XXX New definition of expressions (as conditions)
diff --git a/Doc/ref/ref.tex b/Doc/ref/ref.tex
index 61fe0db..a6c2876 100644
--- a/Doc/ref/ref.tex
+++ b/Doc/ref/ref.tex
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
-% Format this file with latex.
-
\documentstyle[11pt,myformat]{report}
-\title{\bf
- Python Reference Manual
-}
-
+\title{\bf Python Reference Manual}
+
\author{
Guido van Rossum \\
Dept. CST, CWI, Kruislaan 413 \\
@@ -487,11 +483,20 @@
\chapter{The standard type hierarchy}
-The following types are built into Python. Extension modules
-written in C can define additional types. Future versions of Python
-may also add types to the type hierarchy (e.g., rational or complex
+Below is a list of the types that are built into Python. Extension
+modules written in C can define additional types. Future versions of
+Python may add types to the type hierarchy (e.g., rational or complex
numbers, lists of efficiently stored integers, etc.).
+Some type descriptions contain a paragraph listing `special
+attributes'. These are attributes that provide access to the
+implementation and are not intended for general use. Their definition
+may change in the future. There are also some `generic' special
+attributes, not listed with the individual objects: \verb\__methods__\
+is a list of the method names of a built-in object, if it has any;
+\verb\__members__\ is a list of the data attribute names of a built-in
+object, if it has any.
+
\begin{description}
\item[None]
@@ -648,10 +653,10 @@
\begin{description}
\item[User-defined functions]
-A user-defined function is created by a function definition (starting
-with the \verb\def\ keyword). It should be called with an argument
-list containing the same number of items as the function's
-formal parameter list.
+A user-defined function is created by a function definition (see
+section \ref{function}). It should be called with an argument list
+containing the same number of items as the function's formal parameter
+list.
Special read-only attributes: \verb\func_code\ is the code object
representing the compiled function body, and \verb\func_globals\ is (a
@@ -692,23 +697,53 @@
\end{description}
\item[Modules]
-A module object is a container for a module's name space, which is a
-dictionary (the same dictionary as referenced by the
+Modules are imported by the \verb\import\ statement (see section
+\ref{import}). A module object is a container for a module's name
+space, which is a dictionary (the same dictionary as referenced by the
\ver\func_globals\ attribute of functions defined in the module).
Module attribute references are translated to lookups in this
dictionary. A module object does not contain the code object used to
initialize the module (since it isn't needed once the initialization
is done).
-There are two special read-only attributes: \verb\__dict__\ yields the
-module's name space as a dictionary object; \verb\__name__\ yields the
-module's name.
+Attribute assignment update the module's name space dictionary.
+
+Special read-only attributes: \verb\__dict__\ yields the module's name
+space as a dictionary object; \verb\__name__\ yields the module's name.
\item[Classes]
-XXX
+Class objects are created by class definitions (see section
+\ref{class}). A class is a container for a dictionary containing the
+class's name space. Class attribute references are translated to
+lookups in this dictionary. When an attribute name is not found
+there, the attribute search continues in the base classes. The search
+is depth-first, left-to-right in the order of their occurrence in the
+base class list.
+
+Attribute assignments update the class's dictionary, never the
+dictionary of a base class.
+
+A class can be called as a parameterless function to yield a class
+instance (see above).
+
+Special read-only attributes: \verb\__dict__\ yields te dictionary
+containing the class's name space; \verb\__bases__\ yields a tuple
+(possibly empty or a singleton) containing the base classes, in the
+order of their occurrence in the base class list.
\item[Class instances]
-XXX
+A class instance is created by calling a class object as a
+parameterless function. A class instance has a dictionary in which
+attribute references are searched. When an attribute is not found
+there, and the instance's class has an attribute by that name, and
+that class attribute is a user-defined function (and in no other
+cases), the instance attribute reference yields a user-defined method
+object (see above) constructed from the instance and the function.
+
+Attribute assignments update the instance's dictionary.
+
+Special read-only attributes: \verb\__dict__\ yields the attribute
+dictionary; \verb\__class__\ yields the instance's class.
\item[Files]
A file object represents an open file. (It is a wrapper around a C
@@ -1587,7 +1622,7 @@
It continues with the next cycle of the nearest enclosing loop.
-\section{The {\tt import} statement}
+\section{The {\tt import} statement} \label{import}
\begin{verbatim}
import_stmt: "import" identifier ("," identifier)*
@@ -1646,7 +1681,7 @@
implementations may enforce them or silently change the meaning of the
program.)
-\section{The {\tt global} statement}
+\section{The {\tt global} statement} \label{global}
\begin{verbatim}
global_stmt: "global" identifier ("," identifier)*
@@ -1842,9 +1877,9 @@
reason is a problem with the current implementation -- this
restriction may be lifted in the future).
+\section{Function definitions} \label{function}
-
-\section{Function definitions}
+XXX
\begin{verbatim}
funcdef: "def" identifier "(" [parameter_list] ")" ":" suite
@@ -1852,13 +1887,21 @@
parameter: identifier | "(" parameter_list ")"
\end{verbatim}
-\section{Class definitions}
+XXX
+
+\section{Class definitions} \label{class}
+
+XXX
\begin{verbatim}
classdef: "class" identifier [inheritance] ":" suite
inheritance: "(" expression ("," expression)* ")"
\end{verbatim}
+XXX
+
+\section{P.M.}
+
XXX Syntax for scripts, modules
XXX Syntax for interactive input, eval, exec, input
XXX New definition of expressions (as conditions)