[Python-Dev] an oddball alternative name for enumerate() (original) (raw)

Michael McLay mclay@nist.gov
Fri, 26 Apr 2002 12:20:41 -0400

On Friday 26 April 2002 10:33 am, Andrew Koenig wrote:

What does the function do? It attaches a serial number to each element of a sequence. So my first thought was that it should be named serialize(), but of course that sounds like it's related to parallel processing.

But what about inventory()? My mental image is of someone going around with a bunch of numbered stickers, attaching one to every relevant object.

Inventory is a creative alternative, but it brings to mind the tallying of occurances of each item.

The process of adding a serial number to something is an indexing operation. A non-programmer, who's job requires very precise use of language, thought indexing was the most appropriate term for the task as described. Cataloging was suggested as a weak second, but that term generally applies to assigning numbers to physical items. Assigning unique identifiers to abstract objects, such as laws or chemical compounds, is an indexing process.

Unfortunately the PEP has rejected all varations of the term index: 

All of the names involving 'index' clashed with usage in database
languages where indexing implies a sorting operation rather than
linear sequencing.

This seems like a weak reason for rejecting the accurate use of the term index in Python. Only people who use databases will think the term index means to sort. Python is a general purpose language. Many Python users will not find the usage confusing and will find all of the alternative terms confusing.

I searched the Python document, using Thomas Heller's nifty "Index for Python manuals". There are 8 uses of the term index and none of them have to do with a sorting operation of a database.

http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/pyhelp.cgi?keyword=index

I also searched for 'indexing'. There were 0 hits on that term. I would suggest 'indexing' is the term that most closely describes the action of the function. My apologies to the database community for any confusion this might cause them. (Never mind they misused the term in the first place. If they ment sort then they should have used the word sort.)

If indexing is still rejected then I will continue to be +0 on using serialize.