[Zope-dev] Hippos on the Bell Curve ;-)

[Chris Withers]

Michel Pelletier wrote:

> Python Methods are a perfect example of an object that is useful to us
> at the top for advanced things, like methods of a animal base class we
> use in our complex Zoo application, but they are also just as useful to
> those at the bottom, as a simple little script written in python that
> feeds the hippos.  Or unobfusicates their DTML.  Or iterates over a
> database query.  It's useful and saves the time of these novice Zope
> users if these methods can be flexible and reusable in different
> contexts.  To me, this is the heart of the container vs. context binding
> argument.  We at the top ususaly want the container because we're
> engineering methods on classes.  Those at the bottom usually want
> context for entirely different reasons.  Evan has done a great job
> making an object that satisfies the entire spectrum, but in the process
> has come up with something that is not entirely unlike a method in
> python.

...this clears things up a lot. So, a python x can be bound to
containment _or_ context depending on how it's setup, right?

Okay, if that's the case, then we need to make sure that the situations
where you use context binding and the situations where you use
containment binding are clearly explained. If Zope is to succeed really
well, we should make sure that people at the bottom of the bell-curve
don't end up feeding paper to hippos or filling receptions with hippo
feed ;-) It's bad if someone rises up the bell curve and then realises
all their context-bound methods could be badly abused, they're left
feeling stupid and with the impression it's easy to create serious
problems with Zope. By the time they've first learn to use python x's,
they should know when to use context and when to use containment.

> I'm arguing that we need a name that makes sense to
> everybody.  'Method' makes sense to us at the top, but not to those on
> the bottom, and there are a lot more of those people than us.

I say leave it to the vote, although I liked that complex voting
algorithm thing someone posted, it sounds like it'd leave more people
happier.

cheers,

Chris