DM-14842: Fix deprecation warnings from PropertyList/Set.get #37
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| @@ -62,28 +62,17 @@ def _propertyContainerGet(container, name, returnStyle): | |||
| name : ``str`` | |||
| Name of item | |||
| returnStyle : ``ReturnStyle`` | |||
| Control whether data is returned as an array or scalar: | |||
| Control whether numeric or string data is returned as an array | |||
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I got myself confused when reconciling the docs and commit message. I understand:
(1) getArray(nameofAPropertyList) should return a scalar that one can iterate over.
(2) If ReturnStyle.SCALAR, then it returns the last value?
Does this mean the scalar reference in #1 is a different concept than #2? Because I would naively think: the property list is being returned as a scalar, which means I get the last value.
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The point of iterating (in my commit message) is that if you want to iterate over all items in a PropertySet or PropertyList then getArray is the approved way to do it because it returns all numeric or string data (instead of ignoring all but the last value, like getScalar. However, before this commit getArray would raise an exception for items that were neither numeric nor strings, which meant iterating over all items was a very messy business (you had to determine the data type first, then call getArray if numeric or string). Now you can just call getArray on any item and get something sensible back -- something that contains all known information about that item.
In updating code to use `PropertySet.getArray` or `getScalar`, instead of `get`, I realized that the best thing `getArray` can do with items that are neither numeric or scalar (e.g. `PropertySet` or `PropertyList`) is return them, preferably as a scalar. This allows one to retrieve all known information about any item in a container by calling `getArray`. Formerly this was difficult: you would have to first determine the data type (e.g. by calling `getScalar`) then call `getArray` if the type was numeric or string.
In updating code to use
PropertySet.getArrayorgetScalar,instead of
get, I realized that the only reasonable thinggetArraycan do with items that are neither numeric or scalar(e.g.
PropertySetorPropertyList) is return them, preferablyas a scalar. This allows one to iterate over all items and safely
get everything. It also makes
getArraywork likegetandgetScalarfor such items, which is a simple mental model.