Convenience method for repeated FilePath.parent()

[jml]

It would be nice if FilePath let you do something like:

path = FilePath(__file__).parent(3)

where the above was equivalent to:

path = FilePath(__file__).parent().parent().parent()

Having a differently named function would be OK too.

[glyph]

How about FilePath(file).parents()[3]?

This could also address #3589 with a convenient idiom rather than a specific method: if possibleParent in possibleChild.parents()...

[jml]

I could definitely use that. Your suggestion implies that FilePath(x).parents()[0] === FilePath(x), which is probably the right API but a little confusing given the name.

[glyph]

Hmm. I think I'd actually prefer it if FilePath(x).parents()[0] == FilePath(x).parent(). This mirrors the behavior of segmentsFrom, too, in your request for isParent (you don't want isParentOrSelf(), right?) Why do you say it's the right behavior to include the path itself?

[jml]

Replying to glyph:

Hmm. I think I'd actually prefer it if FilePath(x).parents()[0] == FilePath(x).parent(). This mirrors the behavior of segmentsFrom, too, in your request for isParent (you don't want isParentOrSelf(), right?) Why do you say it's the right behavior to include the path itself?

Because in the cases where I want to use it, I actually want to iterate over the path and all of its ancestors -- I'm looking for something.

jml

[glyph]

Replying to jml:

Because in the cases where I want to use it, I actually want to iterate over the path and all of its ancestors -- I'm looking for something.

I think in those cases, the extra verbosity of "chain([it], it.parents())" is useful for clarity's sake.

It occurs to me that list(it.parents())[2] is also pretty easy too; it can easily be a generator.

To strengthen my argument on these points I shall provide a patch.

[glyph]

A patch which implements this, since it's pretty simple.

[glyph]

Merry Christmas.

[jml]

Hey glyph,

The patch looks good -- thanks for getting to it so quickly. I've got a couple of minor comments:

• Isn't assertEqual preferred over assertEquals?
• I think the test would be clearer if it used more literals and less algorithm.

Thanks, jml

[glyph]

(In [25740]) Branching to 'parents-3588'

[glyph]

Replying to jml:

Hey glyph, The patch looks good -- thanks for getting to it so quickly. I've got a couple of minor comments:

* Isn't assertEqual preferred over assertEquals?

If you say so. I don't remember anything like that. Is this written down anywhere?

* I think the test would be clearer if it used more literals and less algorithm.

This is pretty vague, but I do think it's pretty crappy that all the variables are one letter. So let me fix that.

[glyph]

I hope I got the gist of "more literals"; I couldn't really use "less algorithm", having previously used precisely the correct amount :).

[jml]

Looks good to me. Please merge.

I realize now that my comment was too cryptic -- sorry. Here's what I meant. Instead of:

def test_parents(self):
    L = []
    pathobj = self.path.child("a").child("b").child("c")
    fullpath = pathobj.path
    lastpath = fullpath
    thispath = os.path.dirname(fullpath)
    while lastpath != self.root.path:
        L.append(thispath)
        lastpath = thispath
        thispath = os.path.dirname(thispath)
    self.assertEqual([x.path for x in pathobj.parents()], L)

Try something like:

def test_parents(self):
    pathobj = self.path.child("a").child("b").child("c")
    expectedParents = [
        self.path.child('a'),
        self.path.child('a').child('b'),
        ]
    self.assertEqual(
        [x.path for x in pathobj.parents()],
        [x.path for x in expectedParents])

I think the second example makes the expected behaviour of the method clearer. That said, it's your call, and I'm happy for you to merge your patch as is.

Thanks, and sorry about the roundtripping.

jml

[jml]

Also, regarding assertEqual vs assertEquals, I don't know whether one is preferred over the other -- that's why I asked the question. I have memories of being corrected on this in the past, but I can't be sure.

[glyph]

I agree that your second example reads more cleanly. Unfortunately the test is incorrect :). .parents() returns path objects all the way back up to the root, and those have to be determined algorithmically.

[glyph]

(In [26084]) Add a parents() utility method to FilePath for iterating all parents of a path back to the filesystem.

Also add this method to ZipPath, enumerating all paths back to the root of the archive.

Author: glyph Reviewer: jml Fixes #3588