[Edu-sig] Talking about "Handles"

[kirby urner]

A thought about pedagogy:

We say "reference" a lot when talking about a variable's relationship
to a piece of memory.  I'm thinking "handle" could be used more
(optionally -- this is not an instruction) and we could even show a
coffee cup (doesn't have to be coffee -- a mug) with two handles, when
explaing how two (or more) variables may have the same "contents" (a
feature, but also a source of bugs, confusions for beginners).

Python doesn't mind if you use multiple handles for something.
Garbage collection won't happen to anything with a handle in an active
namespace.  More could be said (not necessarily by me).

Kirby

Setting:  Hanging out with Don the boat captain tonight.  His wife is
Jewish and wants to celebrate YK with no distractions, so he's hanging
in the 'hood, planning to sleep on Meliptus (his boat).