no pass-values calling?
Ben Finney
bignose+hates-spam at benfinney.id.au
Wed Jan 16 03:11:53 EST 2008
Christian Heimes <lists at cheimes.de> writes:
> Ben Finney wrote:
> > The term "reference" is fine, since that's exactly how it works.
> > One gets at an object via some reference, be it a name or some
> > access into a container object. When an object has no more
> > references to itself, it becomes a candidate for garbage
> > collection. And so on.
>
> Thanks you, but I know exactly how Python works. I'm actually
> developing CPython and PythonDotNET.
Uh, okay. I didn't ask for you to flash your credentials, but if that
is significant to you, be my guest.
> Anyway your message doesn't help a newbie and it gives most
> certainly the wrong impression. You are using words that have a
> different meaning in other languages. If you explain Python w/o the
> words variable, pointer, reference or call-by-value you have a much
> better chance to explain it right. Trust me :)
I've done my share of explaining of Python to people, and found
"reference" to be exactly the right term to help the newbie understand
what's happening and what they should expect.
I agree with you on "variable", "pointer", and "call-by-value". Those
don't describe how Python works, and thus only confuse the matter.
Thus I avoid them, and correct newbies who appear to be getting
confused because of those existing concepts.
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Ben Finney
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