[Python-ideas] Add .= as a method return value assignment operator

[MRAB]

On 2018-09-27 14:13, Calvin Spealman wrote:
> Absolutely -1 on this. Consider the following example:
> 
> def encode(s, *args):
>      """Force UTF 8 no matter what!"""
>      return s.encode('utf8')
> 
> text = "Hello, there!"
> text .= encode('latin1')
> 
> Do you see how this creates an ambiguous situation? Implicit attribute 
> lookup like this is really confusing. It reminds me of the old `with` 
> construct in javascript that is basically forbidden now, because it 
> created the same situation.
> 
I don't believe it's ambiguous. The intention is that:

     text .= encode('latin1')

would be equivalent to:

     text = text.encode('latin1')

However, I'm also -1 on it.

[snip]