[Python-Dev] Chaining try statements: eltry? (original) (raw)

Thomas Lotze thomas at thomas-lotze.de
Fri Jul 8 02:51:28 CEST 2005

Jack Diederich <jack at performancedrivers.com> wrote:

I can't say I use it for much else, if I really want a default I do found = None for (thing) in searchlist: if (matches(thing)): found = None break

That could end with 'else: found = None' to assign a default but I like the default to come first for readability.

Actually I think assigning the fall-back value in an "else" branch is more readable. To some extent it's just a feeling, but there's two things: For one, it gives you all assignments to the result at closer, if not the same, indentation levels. More importantly, the value is unconditionally set by a single statement, namely the "for" construct, instead of by either the first or both, the second assignment basically making the first superfluous. Using "else" models better what you want to do, IMO.

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Viele Grüße, Thomas

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