The “does Python have variables?” debate

[Mark H Harris]

On 5/7/14 8:27 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
>> In almost every other language you know A and B each "contain" by
>> reference (and almost always by static type) macTruck. But NOT python.
>
> Nor Javascript, Ruby, Perl, PHP, Lua, or (I think) Lisp or Java. To
> mention only a few.
>
> I think it is easy to exaggerate the difference between Python and
> "almost every other language". Python's name binding model is very common
> amongst dynamically typed languages, and there are many dynamically typed
> languages.

     Then we don't need a discussion.

     Why are new Python coders 'always' confused by this question of 
variable (name value) vs. {name: object} model of Python?

     The reason I suggest is that the person has a preconceived idea of 
what 'variable' means, and they then attempt to apply their conception 
of variable on to Python in some way ending in a surprise.

     We need a way to speak about Pythons name object model to avoid 
this confusion.

marcus