This recipe that I submitted to the Python Cookbook (http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python/Recipe/223611) describes a technique for doing this. I use the example of creating Color objects for plotting to a bitmap, using either R,G,andB values, or a single integer representing the RGB encoded value.
This style you describe is a Java language artifact. If you have optional params, then these really don't represent different method signatures. In my color example, you truly have different signatures, either 3 integers representing color components, or a single encoded integer. -- Paul -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
