Official definition of call-by-value (Re: Finding the instance reference...)

[Fredrik Lundh]

Aahz wrote:

>> There you have it -- call by value is offially defined in
>> terms of assignment. There is no mention in there of copying.
>>
>> So it's perfectly correct to use it in relation to Python.
> 
> Except, of course, for the fact that it is generally misleading.

It's not only misleading, it's also a seriously flawed reading of the 
original text - the Algol 60 report explicitly talks about assignment of 
*values*.

I'm not aware of any language where a reference to an object, rather 
than the *contents* of the object, is seen as the object's actual value. 
  It's definitely not true for Python, at least.

</F>