[Python-ideas] Definition Symmetry

Jason Keene jasonkeene at gmail.com
Thu Jan 31 17:35:28 CET 2013


Why do function definitions require parens?

>>> class MyClass:
...     pass
...
>>> def my_func:
  File "<stdin>", line 1
    def my_func:
               ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

This seems to me to break a symmetry with class definitions.  I assume this
is just a hold off from C, perhaps there is a non-historical reason tho.

I believe in the past we've forced parens in list comprehensions to create
a symmetry between comprehensions/generator expressions.  Why not for this?
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