[Python-Dev] Switch statement

[Eric Sumner]

On 6/23/06, Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org> wrote:
> No; in order to make it possible to use a single dict lookup for
> dispatch, the set members are expanded into the dict key. If you have
> a large contiguous range, you'll be better off (sometimes *much*
> better) doing an explicit if/elif check before entering the switch.

In that case, I would argue that the proposed syntax is misleading.
Regardless of how it is implemented, a switch statement is
conceptually a chain of if/elif statements.  As such, the 'in'
keyword, if it is allowed at all, should behave like it does in if
statements, rather than it does in loops.  If, for implementation
reasons, you want to ensure that all of the sets are enumerable, I
would recommend a syntax like this:

   "case" ["*"] expression ("," ["*"] expression)* ":" suite

This is consistent with parameter lists, which emphasizes that the
sequences are being enumerated instead of simply tested against.

  -- Eric Sumner