On 10/10/05, Ron Adam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> The problem is the '*' means different things depending on where it's
> located. In a function def, it means to group or to pack, but from the
> calling end it's used to unpack. I don't expect it to change as it's
> been a part of Python for a long time and as long as it's only used with
> argument passing it's not too difficult to keep straight.
>
> My concern is if it's used outside of functions, then on the left hand
> side of assignments, it will be used to pack, but if used on the right
> hand side it will be to unpack. And if it becomes as common place as I
> think it will, it will present confusing uses and or situations where
> you may have to think, "oh yeah, it's umm... unpacking here and umm...
> packing there, but multiplying there". The point is it could be a
> stumbling block, especially for new Python users. So I think a certain
> amount of caution should be in order on this item. At least check that
> it's doesn't cause confusing situations.
This particular concern, I believe, is a fallacy. If you squint the
right way, using *rest for both packing and unpacking is totally
logical. If
a, b, *rest = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
puts 1 into a, 2 into b, and (3, 4, 5) into rest, then it's totally
logical and symmetrical if after that
x = a, b, *rest
puts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) into x.
BTW, what should
[a, b, *rest] = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
do? Should it set rest to (3, 4, 5) or to [3, 4, 5]? Suppose the
latter. Then should we allow
[*rest] = x
as alternative syntax for
rest = list(x)
? And then perhaps
*rest = x
should mean
rest = tuple(x)
Or should that be disallowed and would we have to write
*rest, = x
analogous to singleton tuples?
There certainly is a need for doing the same from the end:
*rest, a, b = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
could set rest to (1, 2, 3), a to 4, and b to 5. From there it's a
simple step towards
a, b, *rest, d, e = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
meaning
a, b, rest, d, e = (1, 2, (3,), 4, 5)
and so on. Where does it stop?
BTW, and quite unrelated, I've always felt uncomfortable that you have to write
f(a, b, foo=1, bar=2, *args, **kwds)
I've always wanted to write that as
f(a, b, *args, foo=1, bar=2, **kwds)
but the current grammar doesn't allow it.
Still -0 on the whole thing,
--
--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)
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