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<obligatory_rant> Python is a language for consenting adults. If you want to mark something private, simply prefix the name with an underscore, e.g. "_stringy_sum". Whether other developers will ignore this and invoke it anyway is a different problem. The canonical example I've seen for public/private is a toy "ATM" class - if your coworkers are trying to break into the ATM, you've got bigger problems than the fact that Python doesn't enforce private variables. </obligatory_rant>

Blackhawk
– Blackhawk

2022-12-15 22:17:59 +00:00
Commented Dec 15, 2022 at 22:17
3

Why shouldn't stringy_sum have tests if this is useful?

Stack Exchange Broke The Law
– Stack Exchange Broke The Law

2022-12-16 10:34:58 +00:00
Commented Dec 16, 2022 at 10:34
1

@user253751 Precisely because of this issue - if you want to change the code using stringy_sum but not its behaviour (i.e. refactor) then you are required to add or remove tests. The only utility of tests (according to this interpretation) is to verify behaviour. So either stringy_sum is part of the public API (behaviour) of the class, and should be tested, or it is used only implicitly, in which case the actual behaviour should be tested. If stringy_sum contains complex behaviour, then remodelling might make it a new unit in the system, which is used by foo and bar.

preferred_anon
– preferred_anon

2022-12-16 11:11:57 +00:00
Commented Dec 16, 2022 at 11:11
@user253751 Of course I have. It's a natural thing to want. You asked why not, so I told you why not. Note the last sentence in particular.

preferred_anon
– preferred_anon

2022-12-16 11:18:06 +00:00
Commented Dec 16, 2022 at 11:18

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