(why) inconsistent yield/return syntax?

[Andrew Koenig]

Alex> If one's happy with any empty _iterator_, though:

Alex> def zeroleniter(): return iter([])

Alex> is clearly simpler and even more concise.  I see
Alex> no reason to use any other form.

I do.  If I write

        def foo():
                return
                yield None

and I want to come back and change it later so that the sequence it
yields is no longer empty, then it's easy to change.

If, on the other hand, I want to write a function that forevermore
will yield an empty sequence, then I think your suggestion is better.

-- 
Andrew Koenig, ark at research.att.com, http://www.research.att.com/info/ark