Consider the following (working) Python code:
import sys
def sum(list):
# total = 0 does not work for non-numeric types
total = list[0].__class__()
for v in list:
total += v
return total
l = [1, 2, 3]
print sum(l)
l = [1.1, 2.2, 3.3]
print sum(l)
l = ["a", "b", "c"]
print sum(l)
In order for sum() to be generic I initialize total to the value of
list[0].__class__(). This works but I would like to know if this is the
correct or preferred way of doing it. It means that sum() must be given a
list whose elements are types or classes that have a no-arg constructor
(through this is probably almost always the case).
Thanks,
Edward
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