Terry Reedy wrote:
> "Nick Coghlan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Hell no. If I want to write a real function, I already have perfectly
>> good
>> syntax for that in the form of a def statement. I want to *increase* the
>> conceptual (and pedagogical) difference between deferred expressions and
>> real
>> functions, not reduce it.
>
> Mathematically, a function is a function. Expressions and statements are
> two syntaxes for composing functions to create/define new functions. A few
> languages use just one or the other. Python intentionally uses both. But
> I think making an even bigger deal of surface syntax is exactly the wrong
> movement, especially pedagogically.
I guess I misstated myself slightly - I've previously advocated re-using the
'def' keyword, so there are obviously parallels I want to emphasize.
I guess my point is that expressions are appropriate sometimes, functions are
appropriate other times, and it *is* possible to give reasonably simple
guidelines as to which one is most appropriate when (one consumer->deferred
expression, multiple consumers->named function).
I see it as similar to the choice of whether to use a generator function or
generator expression in a given situation.
Cheers,
Nick.
--
Nick Coghlan | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Brisbane, Australia
---------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.boredomandlaziness.org
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