Classes can use the same interfaces to control copying that they use to control
pickling. See the description of module :mod:`pickle` for information on these
-methods. The :mod:`copy` module does not use the :mod:`copyreg` registration
-module.
+methods. In fact, :mod:`copy` module uses the registered pickle functions from
+:mod:`copyreg` module.
.. index::
single: __copy__() (copy protocol)
module: pickle
module: copy
-The :mod:`copyreg` module provides support for the :mod:`pickle` module. The
-:mod:`copy` module is likely to use this in the future as well. It provides
-configuration information about object constructors which are not classes.
+The :mod:`copyreg` module offers a way to define fuctions used while pickling
+specific objects. The :mod:`pickle` and :mod:`copy` modules use those functions
+when pickling/copying those objects. The module provides configuration
+information about object constructors which are not classes.
Such constructors may be factory functions or class instances.
See the :mod:`pickle` module for more details on the interface expected of
*function* and *constructor*.
+
+Example
+-------
+
+The example below would like to show how to register a pickle function and how
+it will be used:
+
+ >>> import copyreg, copy, pickle
+ >>> class C(object):
+ ... def __init__(self, a):
+ ... self.a = a
+ ...
+ >>> def pickle_c(c):
+ ... print("pickling a C instance...")
+ ... return C, (c.a,)
+ ...
+ >>> copyreg.pickle(C, pickle_c)
+ >>> c = C(1)
+ >>> d = copy.copy(c)
+ pickling a C instance...
+ >>> p = pickle.dumps(c)
+ pickling a C instance...