[Python-Dev] Re: os.path.walk() lacks 'depth first' option (original) (raw)

Tim Peters tim.one@comcast.net
Sun, 27 Apr 2003 17:22:00 -0400

[Jeremy Fincher]

It's a minor quibble to be sure, but os.walk doesn't really describe what exactly it's doing. I'd suggest os.pathwalk, but that'd be too error-prone, being os.path.walk without a dot. Perhaps os.pathwalker?

[Greg Ward]

os.walktree? os.walkdirs? os.walkpath?

(On reflection, the latter two are pretty dumb. walktree is the right name, undoubtedly. ;-)

I don't expect any short name to describe exactly what a thing does, and don't worry about it. math.sin() isn't about lust in your heart, or math.tan() about practicing safe sunning either.

Guido has his own inscrutable criteria for picking names. Mine is whether, after I know what a thing does, it's hard to forget what the name means. "walk" passed that test for me, and better than Python or Java did .