Ben Finney wrote: > Steve Holden <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > >> You and I know that the semantics of Python names are precisely >> those of (to use an Algol 68 term, unless I am mistaken) >> automatically dereferenced pointers to objects of arbitrary type. > > Yes. That's exactly why it's wrong to refer to them as pointers. They > don't behave like the pointers in other languages, which are *not* > "automatically-dereferenced", nor "to objects of arbitrary type". > > It's misleading to talk about a Python name as a "pointer" without > those qualifiers, because they're *not* implicit in programmers' > understanding of that term. > > If you want to continually refer to them as > "automatically-dereferenced pointers to objects of arbitrary type", by > all means go ahead. That at least *does* fit the semantics. But the > simple term "pointer" does *not* describe them in the absence of those > necessary and non-default qualifiers, and is misleading. > In practice I am quite happy talking about "variables" as long as nobody is picking nits, but I am afraid that in this thread the nits are not only being picked, they are being boiled alive and eaten.
Consequently I feel obliged to reply in my own defense that if you weren't intelligent enough to recognize that description as essentially correct this conversation need have gone no further. I don't encourage people to talk in terms of pointers most of the time, but I find that such pedagogic devices are useful in discussing the essential differences between mutable and immutable values. Neither do I normally attempt to mislead (as an examination of my record on this group should confirm), which is precisely why the qualifiers *were* attached. So kindly do not tell me it's "wrong" to refer them as pointers. Such phraseology can tend to be emotionally charged (for instance when proponents have religious feelings about their beliefs). Fortunately programming languages and operating systems have never been religious issues for me. It's more like "This problem has a cross head, so I'll need a Philips screwdriver". I don't worship my spirit level, so I'm damned if I will worship LISP or Python. They can both be *jolly* useful, though regards Steve -- Steve Holden +1 571 484 6266 +1 800 494 3119 Holden Web LLC/Ltd http://www.holdenweb.com Skype: holdenweb http://del.icio.us/steve.holden Sorry, the dog ate my .sigline so I couldn't cat it -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
