why pass statement?

[Terry Reedy]

"JCM" <joshway_without_spam at myway.mathworks.com> wrote in message
news:bk9oel$4mu$1 at ginger.mathworks.com...
> M-a-S <NO-MAIL at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Why is there the pass statement? I think, the expression statement
would be enough:
>
> > class C:
> >     None
>
> > while True:
> >     None
>
> Because emacs python-mode knows to dedent the next line after a pass
:)

Nice.

pass is the guaranteed-to-do-nothing identity statement (function
operating on the interpreter state).  def f(): pass generates a
*miminal* function object with a *minimal* code object.  This is at
least potentially useful for testing or investigating the
implementation.  The alternative of an expression statement adds code
to the code body.  The alternative of a doc string generates a string
object attached somewhere to the no-longer-minimal function or code
object.  Indeed, the way to test the effect of either alternative is
to start with the minimum and then define f2 and look for the
difference -- as one of the earlier posters in this thread did do
(using dis module to 'look') for the None expression.

Terry J. Reedy