learning python ...

[Rob Cliffe]

On 24/05/2021 14:34, hw wrote:
>
> Your claim that I'm insulting python or anoyone is ridiculous. 
> According to your logic, C is insulting python.  I suggest you stop 
> making assumptions.
Calling a mature, widely used language "unfinished" because of what 
*you* see as a defect *is* insulting.
(Of course, all languages evolve, and Python is no exception.  But the 
change you are in effect proposing won't happen.)
And using a hectoring arrogant tone as a self-confessed Python beginner 
when addressing veterans with decades of experience in *developing 
Python* as well as developing with Python (disclosure: I'm not 
describing myself) is unlikely to endear anyone to your views.

Python has few keywords (deliberately so), and anything that is not a 
keyword can be used as an identifier.  That will stop your program from 
crashing in 5 years time if a new built-in type is added to the language 
that happens to have the same name as an identifier you used (like maybe 
'quaternion'  'matrix'  'group'  'query', to imagine a few).

One day you may want to write (as you can in Python)

     class int(int):
         .....

to shadow the built-in 'int' type with a modified version.  I'm not 
suggesting this has many real world applications, but it can be fun to 
play with.  Python has a "consenting adults" policy: it assumes that if 
you do something weird, you're doing it deliberately, and it doesn't try 
to stop you.  I am sure after a little more experience with Python you 
will remember the commonest built-in types (int, float, list, dict, str 
etc.).

Regards
Rob Cliffe