Alternative to multi-line lambdas: Assign-anywhere def statements

[Terry Reedy]

On 2/11/2015 8:04 AM, Albert van der Horst wrote:

> It is not until we assign the object to a name (which becomes thereby a function)
> that the __name__ thingy comes into play, like so.

But __name__ would not come into play.

> f = x->x**2

This would mean to create an anonymous function object and then bind 'f' 
to that object in the current local namespace.  It would be the same as 
the discouraged

f = lambda x: x**2

> I've heard arguments that with -> the __name__ is not filled in correctly.

Because local namespace name binding does not and should not mutate the 
object the name is bound to.

> I can't see why the parser would understand more easily
>
> def f(x):
>      return x**2
> than
>
> f = x->
>      return x**2

The parser parses both equally well.  That is not the issue.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy