coding style - where to declare variables

Steven D'Aprano steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info
Sun Jul 22 19:43:06 EDT 2018


On Sun, 22 Jul 2018 22:50:52 +0300, Marko Rauhamaa wrote:

> I wish people stopped talking about "name binding" and "rebinding,"
> which are simply posh synonyms for variable assignment. Properly, the
> term "binding" comes from lambda calculus, whose semantics is defined
> using "bound" and "free" variables. Lambda calculus doesn't have
> assignment.

So let me see if I understand your argument...

- we should stop using the term "binding", because it means 
  nothing different from assignment;
- binding (a.k.a. "assignment") comes from lambda calculus;
- which has no assignment (a.k.a. "binding").

Which leads us to the conclusion that lambda calculus both has and 
doesn't have binding a.k.a. assignment at the same time. Perhaps it is a 
quantum phenomenon.

Are you happy with the contradiction inherent in your statements, or 
would you prefer to reword your argument?




-- 
Steven D'Aprano
"Ever since I learned about confirmation bias, I've been seeing
it everywhere." -- Jon Ronson




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