Python design failures (was Re: Let's Talk About Lambda Func

[Donn Cave]

Quoth "Sean 'Shaleh' Perry" <shalehperry at attbi.com>:
| On 29-Jul-2002 Neil Schemenauer wrote:
|> Sean 'Shaleh' Perry wrote:
|>| I could submit a patch for the repr cleanup in pretty short order.
|> 
|> Guido's not big on this kind of "hit and run" cleanup.  He prefers it if
|> someone looks at the entire module while modernizing it.  Keep in mind
|> though, I'm an amateur when it coming to channelling the BDFL and he
|> might tell you differently himself.
|
| That is a reasonable attitude.
|
| Comments from the direct python hackers?  Would more work on the lib be
| welcomed?  Do we want the standard library to be a good example of python best
| practices? (sorry i know that sounds like a loaded question).

I would be opposed, personally.  (Since I don't know what "direct
python hacker" means, I'm probably not one, but will comment anyway
since it seems to me I brought it up in the first place.)

1. It's up to the people who write the code.  There are probably
   some standards for contributed code, I hope so anyway, but I
   wouldn't want to expect someone to maintain a module that had
   been recoded at a later date for essentially religious reasons.

2. The distribution library is a useful reality check in cases like
   this.  Want to know how people really use repr, str, lambda, integer
   arithmetic, you name it?  The distribution library represents a
   group of reasonably accomplished programmers, whose work we all use.
   They don't always follow the party line on everything, but past
   any initial submission requirements, they're entitled to call their
   own shots on usage, and I think that's actually useful.   It helps
   us to distinguish between comp.lang.python dogma and what everyone's
   really doing.

If they want to ask me how to code their programs, I'd sure advise
them to get rid of the back ticks and I wouldn't take any BS about
how elegant and readable they are.  But I want them to see that on
their own, I don't want to whitewash their code so we can pretend
everyone agrees about these matters.

	Donn Cave, donn at u.washington.edu