strange behavor....

[Dave Angel]

On 2:59 PM, Mark Wooding wrote:
> Tracubik<affdfsdfdsfsd at b.com>  writes:
>
>>>>> def change_integer(int_value):
>> ...     int_value = 10
>> ...
>> <snip>
>
> Alas, Python is actually slightly confusing here, since the same
> notation `=' sometimes means assignment and sometimes means mutation.
> You can tell which is which by looking at the left hand side: if it's a
> simple variable name, the variable is assigned a new value; if it's
> something more complicated (e.g., indexing (`foo[0]'), or attribute
> selection (`foo.bar') then some mutation is (probably) going to happen:
No, an (=) assignment is always an assignment.  It changes the item on 
the left hand side to refer to a new object.  But if the item on the 
left hand side is not a simple variable, then generally only part of its 
contents refers to a new object, rather than the variable itself.

For example,  mylist[4] = "abc" is assigning a new object to a member of 
the list, but does not make a new list, replacing the whole list.

Your other points, such as about the augmented assignment, are quite 
useful, however.

DaveA