[Python-Dev] Making None a keyword (original) (raw)

Martin v. Loewis martin@v.loewis.de
26 Apr 2002 20:17:15 +0200

Skip Montanaro <skip@pobox.com> writes:

Use of the term "keyword" was causing my sleep-deprived brain to think it couldn't be used in expressions. Obviously, that's not the case. All the current keywords in the language either identify statements statements (def, print, continue) or operators (or, and, in). Elevating "None" to keyword status would create a third type keyword. Maybe it should be referred to as a "reserved identifier" or something like that.

I'd put it into the class "literals": it is indeed a literal identifying the singleton NoneType instance.

Of course, it will be the only literal that consists only of letters (it is not the only literal starting with a letter, nor the only literal ending with one).

Regards, Martin