On 7/5/06, Michael Chermside <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Guido writes: > [discussion of how to fix the can't-bind-outer-scope-vars wart] > > I think we have to continue to search for a solution that extends the > > idea of global declarations. > > > > I've proposed extending its meaning to refer to the nearest outer > > scope where the variable is set; if there is no such scope it's an > > error. This will break a small number of program but probably not very > > many; still, it'll require a future statement or waiting until Python > > 3.0. The downside is that "global" is not a very intuitive word for > > this new meaning. > > I disagree with your last statement -- I think "global" _is_ a very > intuitive word for this. As I understand it, in programming "global" > has two meanings, closely intertwined. One is "universal, same > throughout the system". For instance, "The singleton pattern is used > to create a single, global instance of a type." The second meaning is > the term "global variable". This term developed (I believe) in > languages that had only two scopes: local-to-current-function and > global-to-entire-program. But the term "global variable" refers to > any variable whose assignment is a "side effect", regardless of > whether that variable is global-to-entire-program, global-to-module, > or even global-to-enclosing-function. I have even heard the term > "global variable" (mis)used to refer to any kind of side effect. > > Anyhow, in Python only builtins is _really_ global -- even today's > global keyword only refers to module scope. So I believe that it > would be a very reasonable interpretation of "global" to mean > "not local", and implement as "search enclosing scopes in order > to find the binding".
I really wish I could agree with you, because that would make the choice so much easier. However I still don't believe "global" has the stretchiness in its meaning that you claim it has. Have you ever heard a Python programmer talking about closures use the word "global variable"? Are there any other native speakers who side with Michael? -- --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/) _______________________________________________ Python-Dev mailing list Python-Dev@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-dev Unsubscribe: http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com
