Python Args By Reference

[Fredrik Lundh]

Grant Edwards wrote:

> Yes.  All arguments are passed by reference.  This must be in
> the FAQ somewhere...

hopefully not, because that saying that "all arguments are passed
by reference" is extremely confusing for people who've learned about
"call by reference" in school.

as has discussed many times on this list, using "call by object"
(or perhaps "call by object reference" or even "call by sharing")
is better, both for CS heads and for ordinary people.

see e.g.

    http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2003-May/163312.html
    http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2003-May/163028.html
    http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2003-May/163078.html

from a thread where someone claimed that Python used "call by value"
(which is true, as long as you're free to use your own definition of the
word "value" ;-)

</F>