[Tutor] pointers for python?

[Gonçalo Rodrigues]

On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 12:10:01 +1200, you wrote:

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>Hi all,
>
>In C, you can modify a variable from within a seperate function, by passing a 
>pointer to that function. Is there any way to do this in python? it'd be 
>kinda useful ;)
>
>I'm sure i read it in the tutorial a while back, but searching the same 
>tutorials now, I can't seem to find it anywhere... any ideas?
>
>to clarify, currently, this:
>
>def inc(x):
>	x+=1
>
>a=1
>inc(a)
>print a
>
>prints "1"
>
>is there a way to get the inc() function to modify the original variable, even 
>though it's not in the function's scope?
>

Why not the perfectly Pythonic solution

>>> def inc(x):
... 	return x + 1
... 
>>> a = 1
>>> a = inc(a)
>>> a
2

It even has no side effects - the function that is.

With my best regards,
G. Rodrigues