For example, in Python you could add behaviour to object initialisation by creating a custom __init__ method in a metaclass.

I'm curious - how do you see Perl or C++ or Java lacking this behavior? I know that my personal baseclass has the following lines in the new() call:

   my $init = $self->can('init');
   $init && $init->($self, @_);
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That way, I can define a method init() in every class that derives from this baseclass (which is just a way of encapsulating getter/setter/mutator generation and enforcing attribute creation) and I seem to have the same behavior you're touting Python for ...?

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We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

The idea is a little like C++ templates, except not quite so brain-meltingly complicated. -- TheDamian, Exegesis 6

Please remember that I'm crufty and crochety. All opinions are purely mine and all code is untested, unless otherwise specified.

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