Pass-by-reference : Could a C#-like approach work in Python?

[Terry Reedy]

"Stephen Horne" <$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$@$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.co.uk> wrote
in message news:66t0mv410it5ftvjokfpkov0v029trv6lp at 4ax.com...

> Actually I'm sick to death of the old 'your just trying to turn
Python
> into X' argument whenever I suggest that *maybe* Python might learn
a
> trick from another language. [etc]

This seems to be a predictible c.l.py response to proposals.  I got
similar accusations several years ago, which made me similarly sick,
when I proposed the addition of list.pop() (which Guido did, in more
generalized form, about a year later).

My main objection was/is that expressed by Michael Chermside today:
this would complexify a simplicity that I consider a good feature of
Python.  Reading Bengt Richter's lastest response, also today, I
realize that 'ref x' would have to have much the same effect of Lisp's
FEXPR defun keyword -- of automatically quoting rather than evaluating
args -- although on just one rather than all.  Perhaps you should be
accused of 'trying to Lispify Python' -- or perhaps not ;-).

Terry J. Reedy