why cannot assign to function call

[Steve Holden]

Derek Martin wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 04, 2009 at 09:56:33PM -0600, Grant Edwards wrote:
>> On 2009-01-05, Derek Martin <code at pizzashack.org> wrote:
>>> On Sat, Jan 03, 2009 at 11:38:46AM -0600, Grant Edwards wrote:
>>>> One presumes that Mr. Martin finds anything different from his
>>>> first computer language to be BIZARRE.  He should try out
>>>> Prolog or something genuinely different.
>>> One's presumption would be mistaken.  However thank you for
>>> illustrating my point so precisely, which was after all the
>>> condescending and insulting way people "communicate" with
>>> people whom (they think) know less than they do in this forum,
>>> and not actually how difficult or easy the assignment model of
>>> Python is to understand.
>> I'm sorry, but I really don't see how Python's assignment model
>> could be considered bizarre by anybody who's familiar with more
>> than one or two languages.  
> 
> And... what if one wasn't?  The OP of this thread clearly didn't
> understand... Whereas if you've read the thread, clearly I do.
> Of course, had you read my post, you probably would have understood
> that my comment about the model being bizarre was intended to be
> viewed from the perspective of someone who *had not* seen anything
> like it before, which is LOTS of relatively new programmers, whether
> or not it might be old hat to anyone here.   The ultimate point of my
> post was not so much about whether the assignment model of Python was
> or wasn't easy to understand; it was about the idea that when someone
> doesn't understand, we should try to help them instead of making snide
> remarks about how stupid or small-minded they are.

Even if they really are small-minded or stupid I agree this wouldn't be
helpful behavior. But neither would your characterization of Python's
assignment model as "bizarre" (even ignoring that you SHOUTED IT AT US),
and I have yet to see you admit that such a characterization was, shall
we say, inappropriate.

It takes little to admit one is in the wrong even when one isn't. I've
had to learn to do it because I often *am* wrong about things. Could you
be persuaded to consider the possibility that you met with a somewhat
hostile reaction (whether or not such a reaction was useful or
necessary) because you were, in a small way, poking people in the side
with a sharp stick?

If you couldn't I might find that a *little* bizarre.

regards
 Steve
-- 
Steve Holden        +1 571 484 6266   +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC              http://www.holdenweb.com/