Behaviour of increment and decrement operators in Python

Question

I notice that a pre-increment/decrement operator can be applied on a variable (like ++count). It compiles, but it does not actually change the value of the vari

Answer 1

Yeah, I missed ++ and -- functionality as well. A few million lines of c code engrained that kind of thinking in my old head, and rather than fight it... Here's a class I cobbled up that implements:

pre- and post-increment, pre- and post-decrement, addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division, results assignable
as integer, printable, settable.

Here 'tis:

class counter(object):
    def __init__(self,v=0):
        self.set(v)

    def preinc(self):
        self.v += 1
        return self.v
    def predec(self):
        self.v -= 1
        return self.v

    def postinc(self):
        self.v += 1
        return self.v - 1
    def postdec(self):
        self.v -= 1
        return self.v + 1

    def __add__(self,addend):
        return self.v + addend
    def __sub__(self,subtrahend):
        return self.v - subtrahend
    def __mul__(self,multiplier):
        return self.v * multiplier
    def __div__(self,divisor):
        return self.v / divisor

    def __getitem__(self):
        return self.v

    def __str__(self):
        return str(self.v)

    def set(self,v):
        if type(v) != int:
            v = 0
        self.v = v

You might use it like this:

c = counter()                          # defaults to zero
for listItem in myList:                # imaginary task
     doSomething(c.postinc(),listItem) # passes c, but becomes c+1

...already having c, you could do this...

c.set(11)
while c.predec() > 0:
    print c

....or just...

d = counter(11)
while d.predec() > 0:
    print d

...and for (re-)assignment into integer...

c = counter(100)
d = c + 223 # assignment as integer
c = c + 223 # re-assignment as integer
print type(c),c #  323

...while this will maintain c as type counter:

c = counter(100)
c.set(c + 223)
print type(c),c #  323

EDIT:

And then there's this bit of unexpected (and thoroughly unwanted) behavior,

c = counter(42)
s = '%s: %d' % ('Expecting 42',c) # but getting non-numeric exception
print s

...because inside that tuple, getitem() isn't what used, instead a reference to the object is passed to the formatting function. Sigh. So:

c = counter(42)
s = '%s: %d' % ('Expecting 42',c.v) # and getting 42.
print s

...or, more verbosely, and explicitly what we actually wanted to happen, although counter-indicated in actual form by the verbosity (use c.v instead)...

c = counter(42)
s = '%s: %d' % ('Expecting 42',c.__getitem__()) # and getting 42.
print s