[Python-ideas] 'default' keyword argument for max(), min()

[Jared Grubb]

On 16 Apr 2009, at 02:10, Arnaud Delobelle wrote:
> On 16 Apr 2009, at 04:39, Jared Grubb wrote:
>> def min2(*vars, **kw):
>>    try:
>>        if 'key' in kw:
>>             return min(*vars, key=kw['key'])
>>        return min(*vars)
>>    except Exception:
>>        if 'default' in kw:
>>            return kw['default']
>>        raise
>
> Nitpick: [...]

Yes, the "except Exception" was intentional such that "default=..."  
gives a no-throw guarantee. (I originally had "except TypeError", but  
then that would swallow all TypeError, even those given by the  
iterator; and between THOSE two behaviors, no-throw seemed most  
intuitive)

I'm 0 on whether that should be the semantics or not, but as some have  
pointed out, swallowing bugs in iterators is not always a good thing.  
On the other hand, a no-throw min is kinda nice too...

I personally prefer some of the other posters' versions that basically  
do "default catches only the TypeError that min would have thrown if  
iterator was empty" semantics.

Jared