Simple Class/Variable passing question

[monkeyboy]

On Jun 19, 6:37 pm, Matt Nordhoff <mnordh... at mattnordhoff.com> wrote:
> monkeyboy wrote:
> > Hello,
>
> > I'm new to python, and PythonCard. In the code below, I'm trying to
> > create a member variable (self.currValue) of the class, then just pass
> > it to a simple function (MainOutputRoutine) to increment it. I thought
> > Python "passed by reference" all variables, but the member variable
> > doesn't seem to be incremented. If I make the function just increment
> > the member variable directly, without passing it in, it works fine?
>
> > In the code below, "self.currValue" stays at 5, and value evaluates to
> > 1? Any insight would be appreciated...
>
> > class TestModel(model.Background):
>
> >     def on_initialize(self,event):
> >         self.currValue = 5
>
> >     def on_startBtn_mouseClick(self, event):
> >         self.MainOutputRoutine(self.currValue)
> >         self.OutputRoutine(self.currValue)
>
> >     def OutputRoutine(self,value):
> >         self.components.txtBox1.text = str(value)
>
> >     def MainOutputRoutine(self,value):
> >         value = value + 1
>
> That's not how Python works. When you call
> "self.MainOutputRoutine(self.currValue)", in that method's scope, the
> local name "value" points to the same object as self.currValue does.
> When you do "value = value + 1", the local name "value" now points to a
> different object. That has no bearing on self.currValue.
>
> Err, I can't find a guide here. Um, read the language spec? I dunno.
>
> However:
>
> >>> my_list = [1]
> >>> def function(l):
> ...     l.append(2)
> >>> function(my_list)
> >>> my_list
>
> [1, 2]
>
> That's because function() is *mutating* the list; it's not changing what
> the "l" name points to. It's calling the "append" method of the list
> object, which changes said list object. If it were doing, say, "l = 42",
> that would only rebind the function's local name "l":
>
> >>> my_list = [1]
> >>> def function(l):
> ...     l = 42
> >>> function(my_list)
> >>> my_list
>
> [1]
>
> Note that strings and integers are immutable, so whenever you think
> you're mutating them (e.g. "s.replace('a', 'b')" or "i += 1"), you're
> actually getting a whole new, different object, with all that that implies.
> --

Thank you, I haven't used python for a couple of years, and I didn't
recall that aspect of the language. I'll have to dig out my O'Reilly
book,