what's wrong with "lambda x : print x/60,x%60"

[Paul Rubin]

Steve Holden <steve at holdenweb.com> writes:
> Defining a function, and giving it a name,
> isn't "polluting the namespace", any more than assigning
> sub-expressions to temporary variables is polluting the namespace. 

Nor any less.

> Why use temporary variables when all you have to do is make your
> expressions three lines long to avoid "polluting the namespace"?

Indeed.  I'd much rather say 

  x = a + b + (c * d) + e

than

  temp1 = a + b
  temp2 = c * d
  temp3 = temp1 + temp2
  x = temp3 + e

I don't understand why the critics of lambda don't understand that
having to use so many temp variables, for either numbers or functions,
can work against both concision and clarity.

> Even without shouting "Namespaces are a honking good idea, let's do
> more of those", I should just like to make a small plea for everyone
> to remember that namespaces are there specifically to allow us to name
> things!

Not everything needs a name.