Easy questions from a python beginner

[Alf P. Steinbach /Usenet]

* sturlamolden, on 12.07.2010 06:52:
> On 11 Jul, 21:37, "Alf P. Steinbach /Usenet"<alf.p.steinbach
> +use... at gmail.com>  wrote:
>
>> Oh, I wouldn't give that advice. It's meaningless mumbo-jumbo. Python works like
>> Java in this respect, that's all; neither Java nor Python support 'swap'.
>
> x,y = y,x
>

We're talking about defining a 'swap' routine that works on variables.

Since Java/Python doesn't support pass by reference of variables it's not 
possible in these languages, i.e., you missed the point, or made a joke. :-)

However, C# is very similar to Java, nearly all the way, except that in C# you 
can pass by reference. Remove that from C# and you have Java. Add that to Java 
and you have C#, roughly. No change in other aspects is needed. E.g. (ignore 
this if you've never heard about it, but it's a subtle point that you might be 
wondering about now) both Java and C# implement the definite assignment rule.

I.e., there's nothing in the core semantics that prevents accessing/passing the 
variables by reference, although for Python and Java it could be a 
terminological nightmare, and for Python compounded to the n'th degree by the 
general confusion of a subset of the Python community about basic concepts.

I don't know how C#'ers resolve the terminology...


Cheers & hth.,

- Alf

-- 
blog at <url: http://alfps.wordpress.com>