[Python-Dev] PEP for Better Control of Nested Lexical Scopes (original) (raw)

Josiah Carlson jcarlson at uci.edu
Tue Feb 21 06:01:01 CET 2006

"Almann T. Goo" <almann.goo at gmail.com> wrote:

I would like the community's opinion if there is enough out there that think this would be a worthwile endevour--or if there is already an initiative that I missed. Please let me know your questions, comments.

-1

Mechanisms which rely on manipulating variables within closures or nested scopes to function properly can be elegant, but I've not yet seen one that really is. You state that using classes can be "heavy handed", but one of the major uses of classes is as a namespace. Many desired uses of closures (including the various uses you have outlined) is to hide a namespace, and combining both closures with classes can offer that to you, without requiring a language change. Of course using classes directly with a bit of work can offer you everything you want from a closure, with all of the explcitness that you could ever want.

As an aside, you mention both 'use' and 'scope' as possible keyword additions for various uses of nested scopes. In my experience, when one goes beyond 3 or so levels of nested scopes (methods of a class defined within a class namespace, or perhaps methods of a class defined within a method of a class), it starts getting to the point where the programmer is trying to be too clever.

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