how to get the ordinal number in list

[Marko Rauhamaa]

Chris Angelico <rosuav at gmail.com>:

> On Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 7:35 PM, Marko Rauhamaa <marko at pacujo.net> wrote:
>> Python is a formal language with a well-defined syntax and reasonably
>> well-understood semantics. That's all that matters. Any resemblance
>> to the much more ad-hoc syntax of classical mathematics is almost
>> coincidental.
>
> Well, it's a bit more than coincidence. It's the ELIZA effect:
>
> http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/E/ELIZA-effect.html
>
> Using notations that some people will be familiar with is better than
> constructing brand new notations from scratch, even if not everyone
> can gain that benefit.

The main thing is that the definitions must be clear. I must be able to
look up the precise description quickly, and in fact, I always have the
Python Library Reference in a browser tab or two because I have to
review even familiar functionality over and over again. Less often, I
also have to review the Python Language Reference.

You don't have to like the = sign or the trailing comma of 1-tuples.
What matters is that you know how to use them.

The second in priority is that the language/module should be faithful to
its own principles. An example is the so-called "file-like objects" in
Python. A different one would be the principle that a new indentation
level is always introduced by a colon. Yet another specialty of Python
is the numerous "magic" access points that have been named __xyz__.

You don't have to like the naming of __init__. It doesn't have to have a
precedent in other programming languages. However, it is important that
it follows a general, rigorous Python pattern.


Marko