smart-monkeypatching 1.4.0

tools to carefully monkeypatch classes

smart-monkeypatching

Tools to aid in monkeypatching classes. Two decorators:

@add_new_class(ExistingClass)
class MyClass: ...

will (in the module where ExistingClass is defined)

1. Create orig_ExistingClass, as a backup of ExistingClass
2. Create new_ExistingClass, as a backup of MyClass
3. Make ExistingClass be new_ExistingClass (that is, MyClass) fixing __name__ and __qualname__ between new_ExistingClass and orig_ExistingClass as well
   Then restore_class(ExistingClass) will restore the original, and restore_new_class(ExistingClass) will put back the new version again.

@add_to_class(ExistingClass)
def fn():...

or

@add_to_class(ExistingClass)
def new_fn():...

Both will (in ExistingClass) add a method fn. If fn already exists, the the original is backed up as orig_fn. new_fn is created and names are fixed as for @add_new_class.

@add_to_class can be combined with one of @classmethod, @staticmethod, or @property (and if property, then fn in the local namespace will be the property, so you can then do

@add_to_class(ExistingClass)
@fn@setter
def fn():...

This takes care of the following potential issues;

1. Create ExistingClass.orig_fn, as a backup of ExistingClass.fn. This way you can delegate part of the work back to the original function (calling orig_fn in your code), or undo the monkeypatching (with restore_method(ExistingClass.fn)).
2. Create ExistingClass.new_fn, as a backup of fn (so you can switch back to the new version if you have restored the old, with restore_new_method(ExistingClass.fn)).
3. Fixing __name__ and __qualname__ between versions of ExistingClass.fn, so that whether fn is actually orig_fn or new_fn, it's name will be fn.
4. Specifically deals with special issues for @classmethod, @staticmethod, and @property. If the function you are replacing is a classmethod, staticmethod, or property, automatically modifies your function appropriately.
5. Specifically deals with condition that ExistingClass.fn was actually defined in a parent class of ExistingClass, so we don't want to change the parent class when adjusting names, by copying fn into ExistingClass.
6. Specifically deals with condition that ExistingClass.fn is a builtin, and can't be copied in the same way (or modified at all, even __name__)
7. Specifically deals with condition that ExistingClass.fn is a Descriptor type inherited from a parent (and __code__ cannot be accessed for copying).
8. Modifies the __doc__ to note that the function is monkeypatched.
9. in submodule util there is a specific function to "copy" class methods so that they will have the same interface.

You should know that monkeypatching will wreack havoc with mypy, since it does stuff you shouldn't generally do. You can get an idea of the kind of mypy issues that arise by checking out the test code # test: ignore[] annotations.

For examples, use help(...), and/or download the source package and look at the tests.

The library can be built with hatchling build, tested with tests/test_tools.py -v, and should pass mypy.