[Python-Dev] SyntaxError: can't assign to function call
James Y Knight
foom at fuhm.net
Thu Aug 10 20:28:20 CEST 2006
On Aug 10, 2006, at 12:24 PM, Guido van Rossum wrote:
> On 8/10/06, James Y Knight <foom at fuhm.net> wrote:
>> It makes just as much sense as assigning to an array access, and the
>> semantics would be pretty similar.
>
> No. Array references (x[i]) and attribute references (x.a) represent
> "locations". Function calls represent values. This is no different
> than the distinction between lvalues and rvalues in C.
Yes, function calls cannot be lvalues right now. However, there is no
reason that a function call _could not_ be an lvalue. That is exactly
what the addition of __setcall__ would allow.
On Aug 10, 2006, at 12:31 PM, Phillip J. Eby wrote:
> Honestly, it might make more sense to get rid of augmented
> assignment in Py3K rather than to add this. It seems that the need
> for something like this springs primarily from the existence of
> augmented assignment.
It makes just as much (and just as little) sense to have normal
assignment to function calls as it does augmented assignment to
function calls. I don't see any reason to single out augmented
assignment here.
Anyhow, enough time wasted on this. I don't really think python
should add this feature, but it _does_ make sense, and would have
understandable and consistent semantics if it were added.
James
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