On Oct 29, 2008, at 4:52 PM, Fuzzyman wrote:
You're pretty straightforwardly wrong. In Python the 'value' of a
variable is not the reference itself.
That's the misconception that is leading some folks around here into
tangled nots of twisty mislogic, ultimately causing them to make up
new terms for what every other modern language is perfectly happy
calling Call-By-Value.
I've thought a lot about why this misconception is so widespread here,
and I think it must be one of the following:
1. There was one community leader with this idea, who has been
successful at promoting it widely, much to the detriment of all; or,
2. Because everything in Python is an object, you're not forced to
think clearly (and more generally) about references as values as you
are in languages (such as Java, VB.NET, etc.) which have both simple
types and object types.
Either way, it's wrong (or at least, a needlessly complicated way of
looking at things).
.NET does draw a distinction between 'value types' and reference types
- where using reference types are called by reference (the reference
is passed) and value types are called by value (the value itself is
copied).
Quite right. Now, note that "ByRef" and "ByVal" apply to both.
Generalize to Python. There you go.
Best,
- Joe
P.S. I really am trying to quit responding to this thread. Sometimes
the urge is too strong. But I'll keep trying!
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