Exploring the applications of metaprogramming

Metaprogramming can be applied to various Python-based application development solutions, such as automated code generators, component-based or flow-based application development, domain-specific language development, and many more.

Any code you develop, be it for a class or a method, internally applies metaprogramming, and its use is inevitable in the Python application development process. However, applying metaprogramming concepts explicitly is a conscious decision-making process and it purely depends on the expected outcome of your application.

In our example of dynamic function creation, we implemented metaprogramming to avoid repetitions and also to ensure the abstraction of the code at the meta-level.

Let’s consider a scenario where we want to develop a functional flow-based application for non-programmers to use. For instance, the application can be a domain-specific data transformation tool that works with high levels of abstraction and does not provide too much design or development-based information to the end users. However, it also helps the end users dynamically create modules that can help in their domain-specific problem solving, without the need to write any programs. In such cases, metaprogramming comes in handy for the application development process:

Figure 1.9 – Levels of programming

We will look at the case studies and applications of metaprogramming in more detail throughout this book.