module confusion

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

In message <874ph8sdhx.fsf at benfinney.id.au>, Ben Finney wrote:

> Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo at geek-central.gen.new_zealand> writes:
> 
>> On my Gentoo system:
>> 
>>     >>> import os
>>     >>> os.path
>>     <module 'posixpath' from '/usr/lib64/python2.5/posixpath.pyc'>
>> 
>> It's just a variable that happens to point to the posixpath module.
> 
> There's no "pointing" going on. It's another name bound to the same
> object, of equal status to the 'posixpath' name.
> 
> Python doesn't have pointers, and even "variable" is a misleading term
> in Python. Best to stick to "name" and "bound to".

In Python, all names _are_ variables. They are not "bound" to objects. The
value of os.path is a pointer. It's implemented as a pointer, it has all
the semantics of a pointer.

Honestly, why do people react to the word "pointer" as though computers have
to wear underwear to conceal something shameful going on in their nether
regions?