Re: [PATCH v2 09/11] qapi/introspect.py: create a typed 'Annotated' data strutcure

[John Snow <jsnow@redhat.com>]

On 12/16/20 2:08 AM, Markus Armbruster wrote:
>> We all have our phobias. I find "isinstance(x,
>> extremely_common_stdlib_type)" to be extremely fragile and likely to
>> frustrate.
> You're applying programming-in-the-large reasoning to a
> programming-in-the-small case.
> 

"Surely, they won't use my proof of concept code in production!"

Ah, alas, ...

> Say you're writing a piece of code you expect to be used in contexts you
> prudently refuse to predict.  The code deals with a bunch of basic
> Python types.  Reserving another basic Python type for internal use may
> well be unwise then, because it can make your code break confusingly
> when this other type appears in input.  Which it shouldn't, but making
> your reusable code harder to misuse, and misuses easier to diagnose are
> laudable goals.
> 
> This is not such a piece of code.  All the users it will ever have are
> in the same file of 200-something LOC.
> 

I'm just saying that this type of code has bitten me in the ass before. 
You're right that it's not likely to bite someone explicitly here, but 
that's indeed why it came in the "Also, ..." section.

I've reworked the commit message a bit by now, but I suspect you'll 
still want to take the red marker to it a bit.

--js