map/filter/reduce/lambda opinions and background unscientific mini-survey

[François Pinard]

[Tom Anderson]

> > del -> delete

> How about just getting rid of del? [...] i'm not convinced that
> deleting variables is something we really need to be able to do

While surely not in every program, I still use `del' often.  Compare:

    x = None
    del x

when the goal is to cut the reference being held in x.  Both statements
do it, yet the intent is expressed more legibly by the second.

> (most other languages manage without it).

Hardly an excuse against some good ideas Python has on its own! :-)

-- 
François Pinard   http://pinard.progiciels-bpi.ca