On 2005 Feb 19, at 06:03, Nick Coghlan wrote:
This is something I've typed way too many times:
Py> class C(): File "<stdin>", line 1 class C(): ^ SyntaxError: invalid syntax
It's the asymmetry with functions that gets to me - defining a function with no arguments still requires parentheses in the definition statement, but defining a class with no bases requires the parentheses to be omitted.
Seconded. It's always irked me enough that it's the only ``apology'' for Python syntax you'll see in the Nutshell -- top of p. 71, "The syntax of the class statement has a small, tricky difference from that of the def statement" etc.
Which leads in to the real question: Does this *really* need to be a syntax error? Or could it be used as an easier way to spell "class C(object):"?
-0 ... instinctively, I dread the task of explaining / teaching about the rationale for this somewhat kludgy transitional solution [[empty parentheses may be written OR omitted, with large difference in meaning, not very related to other cases of such parentheses]], even though I think you're right that it would make the future transition to 3.0 somewhat safer.
Alex
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