Overcoming Python's limitations regarding instance methods

Question

It seems that Python has some limitations regarding instance methods.

1. Instance methods can\'t be copied.
2. Instance methods can\'t be pickled.

Answer 1

REST - Representation State Transfer. Just send state, not methods.

To transfer an object X from A to B, we do this.

1. A encode the state of X in some handy, easy-to-parse notation. JSON is popular.

2. A sends the JSON text to B.

3. B decodes the state of X form JSON notation, reconstructing X.

B must have the class definitions for X's class for this to work. B must have all functions and other class definitions on which X's class depends. In short, both A and B have all the definitions. Only a representation of the object's state gets moved around.

See any article on REST.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representational_State_Transfer

http://www.ics.uci.edu/~fielding/pubs/dissertation/top.htm