Python-URL! - weekly Python news and links (Nov 17)

[Gabriel Genellina]

En Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:44:23 -0200, <rurpy at yahoo.com> escribió:
> On Nov 17, 8:54 am, "Gabriel Genellina" <python-... at phaseit.net>
> wrote:
>>     Candidate to *Longest and Most Boring Thread of the Year* - started
>>     more than a month ago, currently discussing "The official definition
>>     of call-by-value", and "What't the value of an object":
>>         http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/t/6163956596a8c082/
>
> Nice.  The Python Reference defines objects, the core concept
> of Python, as id, type, and value, and then leaves one clueless
> about what a value is, and several notable Python contributors
> declare the subject boring.

   The C99 language standard does not define what "memory" is, even if many  
parts on the language definition rely on how memory actually works. This  
has not prevented programmers from writing good C code.

   Arithmetic (and algebra) was developed way before mathematicians could  
give a good definition of what a "number" really is.

   I don't feel anybody would improve their Python skills chasing what the  
"value" of an object is, least to make contortions so some arbitrary  
definition of "call by value" be applicable to the language. It's a boring  
topic for *ME* and the above "Most Boring Thread" is just *MY* opinion; if  
you or anyone else enjoy the discussion or consider it important in some  
way, of course you're all free to continue as long as you wish.

   BTW, I think some other thread got a few more than 300 posts, so this  
one -currently at 268- still has a chance to get the first prize as  
Longest Thread - but you'll have to write hard :)

> I guess this goes a long way to explaining why the Python docs
> suck so badly in many areas.

   I don't think so, anyway, I guess the usual reply is "all contributions  
are welcome".

-- 
Gabriel Genellina