[Python-Dev] Tuple/list assignment question (original) (raw)

Nick Coghlan ncoghlan at iinet.net.au
Wed Aug 4 05:21:56 CEST 2004

Dave Cole wrote:

This begs the question; do you prefer:

>>> args = [4, 5, 6] >>> afunc(1, *args) or this: >>> args = [4, 5, 6] >>> apply(afunc, [1] + args) - Dave

Oh, I certainly prefer the variable argument format, rather than having to use apply. The difference is that I've found that useful on several occasions, mainly because keyword arguments let you get around the 'only at the end' problem.

As far as I know, the new syntax was to able to completely replace the functionality of 'apply' (I've certainly never needed to use it, no matter how complex the variable argument list games got).

Whereas the list assignment proposal gives special synactic sugar to one form of slicing (x[0], ..., x[n], x[(n+1):]).

As soon as the form of your slice changes, you're going to have to switch to a generator expression anyway. Hence the question about whether or not this special case was special enough to be given its own syntax, given that the comparable generator expression really isn't that complicated.

shrug I'm not implacably opposed or anything - although I'd be interested in hearing from those around hear who teach Python as to whether they think it would be beneficial or not.

Cheers, Nick.

-- Nick Coghlan | Brisbane, Australia Email: ncoghlan at email.com | Mobile: +61 409 573 268

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