On 23.02.2021 15:29, Paul Moore wrote: > On Tue, 23 Feb 2021 at 14:10, M.-A. Lemburg <m...@egenix.com> wrote: >> >> The natural way in Python to write an anonymous function would >> be to simply drop the name in a regular function definition: >> >> def (a): return a**2 >> >> The lambda notation is less verbose and closer to computer >> science theory, though: >> >> lambda a: a**2 >> >> FWIW: I don't understand why people are so unhappy with lambdas. >> There isn't all that much use for lambdas in Python anyway. Most >> of the time, a named function will result in more readable code. > > Typically because they are simple expressions like the a**2 you used above. > > def a_squared(a): > return a**2 > > is way over the top.
Fair enough. Although as soon as you use the same such function more than once in your application, giving it a name does make sense :-) > Thinking about it, maybe the *real* solution here is to use one of the > "placeholder variable" libraries on PyPI - there's "placeholder" which > I found on a quick search: > > from placeholder import _ # single underscore > > _.age < 18 # lambda obj: obj.age < 18 > _[key] ** 2 # lambda obj: obj[key] ** 2 > > Some people will hate this sort of thing - probably the same people > who can't see why anyone has a problem with lambda - but it doesn't > need a language change, and it's available now. > > I guess I've convinced myself here - we already have shorter > alternatives to lambda, so why add a new built-in one? People should have a look at the operator module. It's full of short (and fast) functions for many things you often write lambdas for: https://docs.python.org/3/library/operator.html -- Marc-Andre Lemburg eGenix.com Professional Python Services directly from the Experts (#1, Feb 23 2021) >>> Python Projects, Coaching and Support ... https://www.egenix.com/ >>> Python Product Development ... https://consulting.egenix.com/ ________________________________________________________________________ ::: We implement business ideas - efficiently in both time and costs ::: eGenix.com Software, Skills and Services GmbH Pastor-Loeh-Str.48 D-40764 Langenfeld, Germany. CEO Dipl.-Math. Marc-Andre Lemburg Registered at Amtsgericht Duesseldorf: HRB 46611 https://www.egenix.com/company/contact/ https://www.malemburg.com/ _______________________________________________ Python-ideas mailing list -- python-ideas@python.org To unsubscribe send an email to python-ideas-le...@python.org https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/python-ideas.python.org/ Message archived at https://mail.python.org/archives/list/python-ideas@python.org/message/AMX7IPZEGVXSK45JNSJP72RFMLEWKXM7/ Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/
