[Python-Dev] PEP 3102: Keyword-only arguments (original) (raw)

Fredrik Lundh fredrik at pythonware.com
Mon May 1 15:04:01 CEST 2006

Edward Loper wrote:

> One reason I see is to have keyword-only functions, i.e. with no > positional arguments at all: > > def makeperson(*, name, age, phone, location): > pass > > which also works for methods: > > def makeperson(self, *, name, age, phone, location): > pass > > In these cases, you don't want name, age to be passed in a positional > way. How else would you formulate that if this syntax wasn't available?

But is it necessary to syntactically enforce that the arguments be used as keywords? I.e., why not just document that the arguments should be used as keyword arguments, and leave it at that.

and how do you best do that, in a way that automatic introspection tools understand, unless you invent some kind of standard syntax for it?

and if you have a standard syntax for it, why not support it at the interpreter level ?

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