Python3k extended grammar
Roy Katz
katz at Glue.umd.edu
Fri May 19 18:40:55 EDT 2000
On Thu, 18 May 2000, Paul Prescod wrote:
> Nobody has, as far as I know, ever spoken about having to declare
> variable types in Python. Many, many people have asked to be *allowed*
> to declare variables in Python. There is a big difference.
As one who enjoys programming both little (albeit elegant) scripts and
large projects alike, I feel safe with Python as a 'stable' language
set. Here's a list of Unqualified Rumors we've been compiling:
1. Python 3000 may be case-insensitive.
2. It may allow type-checking.
3. It may have a more thorough garbage collection mechanism.
4. dividing integers may yield a float.
I don't really have an issue with (1) personally; however,
I find scripts such as
IMPORT OS, OS.PATH
DIRNAMES = '..'
OPENFILES = []
FOR N IN OS.LISTDIR( DIRNAME ):
F = OPEN( OS.PATH.JOIN( DIRNAME, N )
OPENFILES.APPEND( F )
*really* difficult to comprehend (and perhaps, even *with*
case-insensitivity, and assuming even then that this doesn't break any
existing code), but if it helps budding programmers, I understand.
for (4) my only concern is that int/float promotion would at least
remain consistent. For me, this is confusing as it is:
a = 5 # just practice variables
b = 3
c = float(a) / float(5) # force c to be a float (supposedly)
if we have explicitly declared float types to work with, then this
wouldn't even be an issue for me. But again, I could still write a
module to implement this and then have its / operator overloaded.
What I would like to know is where I can get information. So many people
have asked about p3k in this group; I've searched python.org and Starship
and have come up with relatively little. The TYPES-SIG (whose archives
are accessible from Python.org) sheds light on the types issue (then
again, I have issues with their proposals).
Roey
btw -- the above is just my preference. Whatever aids new students in
learning to program, so be it (at least I'll have Python 1.x).
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