Based on the python-dev thread [1], the proposed name for this API is now "types.new_class()".

This parallels the existing imp.new_module() naming scheme and avoids various problems with the idea of using a static method on type itself (descriptors on type behave strangely, and the type namespace is accessible through *all* type objects, which would be weird in this case).

Since types is a Python module, we now have to choose between 3 implementation strategies:
- reimplement in pure Python (my preferred choice)
- implement in terms of __build_class__ (would work, but may not be portable to other implementations and/or serves as a de facto promotion of __build_class__ up to being part of the language specification)
- move Daniel's existing operator module based solution over to a new _types C extension module (again, may not help other implementations)

The reason I find the idea of a pure Python reimplementation appealing is that it can then serve as a cross-check for any other implementations implementing PEP 3115 for their class statements.

[1] http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2012-May/119318.html