What is a function parameter =[] for?

[Antoon Pardon]

Op 24-11-15 om 20:15 schreef Ian Kelly:

>> But no matter what you want to call it. The dis module shows that
>> -42 is treated in exactly the same way as 42, which is treated
>> exactly the same way as () or as (5, 8, 13) which is treated
>> differently from [] or [5, 8, 13].
> 
> This is an implementation detail. The compiler would also be free to
> compile -42 into byte code as the negation of the constant 42. That 42
> is a literal, on the other hand, is part of the language
> specification.

I think you are picking nits. Sure the byte code could compile -42 into
a byte code for 42 and a negation. Just as it could compile 42 into byte
code for adding 32, 8 and 2.

The point is, that the reverse isn't true. It couldn't compile [5, 8, 13]
into a LOAD_CONST.

-- 
Antoon Pardon