Opened 5 years ago

Closed 5 years ago

Last modified 4 years ago

#31327 closed Cleanup/optimization (fixed)

Deprecate providing_args argument from Signal

Reported by: Jon Dufresne Owned by: nobody
Component: Utilities Version: dev
Severity: Normal Keywords:
Cc: Triage Stage: Ready for checkin
Has patch: yes Needs documentation: no
Needs tests: no Patch needs improvement: no
Easy pickings: no UI/UX: no

Description

The argument is and always has been purely documentational. It provides no functionality or checking. Therefore, these values are stored in memory for no real use.

Documentation can be handled just as easily by a code comment or real documentation articles.

On a more practical level, I rarely signals, so I recently had to look up their interface. Seeing this providing_args argument required me to think about how to best use it, only to realize it actually goes unused. We can remove this cognitive distraction from the docs.

It has caused other small confusion in the past: #19579.

Change History (5)

comment:2 by Carlton Gibson, 5 years ago

Triage Stage: UnreviewedAccepted

On a more practical level, I rarely signals, so I recently had to look up their interface. Seeing this providing_args argument required me to think about how to best use it, only to realize it actually goes unused. We can remove this cognitive distraction from the docs.

Amen to this sentiment. We put every single user through the exact same mental cycle, for, I agree, very little.

Comment from 2008 on the mailing list:

We went back and forth trying to balance features and performance and decided to remove the functionality still referenced in the docstring. At the moment, the providing_args parameter is purely for documentation purposes, but extra checking may be added in the future if necessary.

I think 12 years later we can accept that this extra never will be added, and simplify the API.

The signals docs list the parameters. For example, `pre_init`. I've never thought to look to the source for that. I can't believe many other folks have either.

comment:3 by Carlton Gibson, 5 years ago

Triage Stage: AcceptedReady for checkin

comment:4 by Carlton Gibson <carlton@…>, 5 years ago

Resolution: fixed
Status: newclosed

In 769cee5:

Fixed #31327 -- Deprecated providing_args argument for Signal.

comment:5 by Mariusz Felisiak <felisiak.mariusz@…>, 4 years ago

In 1adcf203:

Refs #31327 -- Removed providing_args argument for Signal per deprecation timeline.

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