[Python-Dev] Re: Source-level backward compatibility requirements -logging and apply() (original) (raw)

Jack Jansen Jack.Jansen at cwi.nl
Tue Dec 9 08:25:40 EST 2003

On 9 Dec 2003, at 9:21, Fredrik Lundh wrote:

in my experience, you always lose your audience when you introduce the callable(*args, **kwargs) syntax, and you don't get them back until you explain that the notion is apply(callable, args, kwargs).

This is a good point.

For most other language constructs that we have considered dropping the new construct was more readable than the old one (think repr() versus backticks) but for this one that isn't true: apply() is much more readable than the * and ** notation in some situations.

In other situations the * notation is much easier, I really don't want to write callable(1, a=2, *args, **kwargs) in apply notation anymore. But still apply is easy to understand for easy cases.

Jack Jansen <Jack.Jansen at cwi.nl> http://www.cwi.nl/~jack If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution -- Emma Goldman

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