Records in python, the equivalent of a C struct.

record.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Record factory. A record is the equivalent of a C struct."""

import sys
import keyword

class_template = """\
import collections

class {typename}:
    '{typename}({arg_list})'

    __slots__ = {field_names!r}

    def __init__(self, {init_args}):
        'Create new instance of {typename}.'
        {self_fields} = {arg_list}

    def __repr__(self):
        'Return a nicely formatted representation string.'
        return self.__class__.__name__ + '({repr_fmt})'.format({self_fields})

    def __iter__(self):
        'Iterates over {typename} fields and values.'
        return zip(self.__slots__, self.__values())

    def __eq__(self, other):
        'Returns True if *self* is equal to *other*.'
        return {eq_stmt}

    @classmethod
    def _make(cls, iterable):
        'Make a new {typename} object from *iterable*.'
        return {typename}(*iterable)

    @property
    def _fields(self):
        'Returns the names of the fields in the order they were defined.'
        return self.__slots__

    def __values(self):
        'Iterates through values in the order fields were defined.'
        {values_stmt}

    def _asdict(self):
        'Return a new OrderedDict which maps field names to their values.'
        result = collections.OrderedDict()
        {asdict_result} = {self_fields}
        return result

    def _replace(self, **kwargs):
        'Return a new {typename} object replacing specified fields with new values'
        result = self._make(map(kwargs.pop, self.__slots__, self.__values()))
        if kwargs:
            raise ValueError('Got unexpected field names: ' + str(list(kwargs)))
        return result\
"""

def validate(typename, field_names):
    'Internal use, checks validity of typename and field_names.'

    if isinstance(field_names, str):
        field_names = field_names.replace(',', ' ').split()
    field_names = list(map(str, field_names))
    typename = str(typename)

    # avoid name clashes
    for name in [typename] + field_names:
        if not isinstance(name, str):
            raise TypeError('Type names and field names must be strings')
        if not name.isidentifier():
            raise ValueError('Type names and field names must be valid '
                             'identifiers: ' + name)
        if keyword.iskeyword(name):
            raise ValueError('Type names and field names cannot be a '
                             'keyword: ' + name)

    # check for duplicates
    seen = set()
    for name in field_names:
        if name.startswith('_'):
            raise ValueError('Field names cannot start with an underscore: ' +
                             name)
        if name in seen:
            raise ValueError('Encountered duplicate field name: ' + name)
        seen.add(name)

    return typename, field_names

def compile_(typename, source, module=None):
    'Internal use, compiles struct source.'
    # pylint: disable=exec-used, protected-access

    namespace = {__name__ : 'struct_{:s}'.format(typename)}
    exec(source, namespace)

    code = namespace[typename]
    code._source = source

    if module is None:
        try:
            module = sys._getframe(1).f_globals.get('__name__', '__main__')
        except (AttributeError, ValueError):
            pass
    if module is not None:
        code.__module__ = module

    return code

def record(typename, field_names, *, module=None):
    'Factory method that creates a record class'

    typename, field_names = validate(typename, field_names)

    source = class_template.format( \
        typename=typename, \
        field_names=tuple(field_names), \
        arg_list=', '.join(field_names), \
        init_args=', '.join(f + '=None' for f in field_names), \
        eq_stmt=' and '.join('self.' + f + ' == other.' + f \
            for f in field_names), \
        repr_fmt=', '.join(f + '={}' for f in field_names), \
        self_fields=', '.join('self.' + f for f in field_names), \
        values_stmt='; '.join("yield self." + f for f in field_names), \
        asdict_result=', '.join("result['" + f + "']" for f in field_names) \
    )

    return compile_(typename, source, module)