[Python-Dev] an oddball alternative name for enumerate()

[Greg Ewing]

Michael McLay <mclay@nist.gov>:

> Unfortunately the PEP has rejected all varations of the term index: 
> 
>     All of the names involving 'index' clashed with usage in database
>     languages where indexing implies a sorting operation rather than
>     linear sequencing.

I think that comment is badly worded. Creating a database
index may involve sorting at some point, but that's irrelevant.
It's called "indexing" by analogy with indexing a book -- i.e.
creating a data structure allowing fast access to a data item
given a key. I think this usage of the term is much more widely
understood than just in the database field, or even the whole
computer field.

> I searched the Python document, using Thomas Heller's nifty "Index for
> Python manuals".

Why do you think that document has the word "Index" in its
title... :-)

Greg Ewing, Computer Science Dept, +--------------------------------------+
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