Doug Holton wrote:
application is so important that I expect Python 3000 will have optional type declarations integrated into the argument list."
I think that *optional* part of the "optional type declaration" is a myth.
It may be optional in the sense that the language will accept missing declarations but as soon as the feature is available it will become "mandatory" to use it (peer pressure, workplace practices).
I didn't write that, Guido did. I agree with you, and others who have made the same point you made. I would have to think Guido is already aware of this issue (keep python simple). I'm not sure what his motivations are for wanting to add static typing to python, not that I'm against it.
It doesn't matter a whole lot either way since Python 3000 is still years away and you can already do static typing now with Pyrex or boo, as well as many other things that people have requested for python from little things like ++i to bigger features like multi-line anonymous methods/closures.
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