Missing Something Simple

[Thomas Guettler]

Am Tue, 12 Jul 2005 14:44:00 +0100 schrieb John Abel:

> Hi,
> 
> I have a list of variables, which I am iterating over.  I need to set 
> the value of each variable.  My code looks like:
> 
> varList = [ varOne, varTwo, varThree, varFour ]
> 
> for indivVar in varList:
>     indivVar = returnVarFromFunction()
> 
> However, none of the variables in the list are being set.  I thought of 
> using setattr, but this code sits in a function, and not class, so I'm 
> unsure what the object would be.

Hi,

"indivVar" is a *reference* to a value. You only change the
reference, not the value. Maybe this code helps you:

a="a"
b="b"
c="c"

varList = [a, b, c]

for x in varList:
    x = "foo"

# nothing changed
print varList # --> ["a", "b", "c"]

for i in range(len(varList)):
    varList[i]="foo"

# List was changed
print varList # --> ["foo", "foo", "foo"]


HTH,
  Thomas

-- 
Thomas Güttler, http://www.thomas-guettler.de/