Arnaud Delobelle wrote:
'Pass by value' is not relevant to Python as variables do not contain anything.
Where abouts in the phrase "pass by value" does the word "contain" appear? You don't need a notion of containment in order for "pass by value" to have meaning. All you need is some notion of a "value" (it doesn't matter what) and some way to "pass" that value.
'Pass by reference' is not relevant to Python as the language doesn't have the concept of object reference (in the sense of e.g. C++ reference).
What it doesn't have is the concept of a *variable* reference, which is what the "reference" in "pass by reference" means.
Here lies, IMHO, the reason why you think you need Python to 'pass by value'. As you believe that variables must contain something, you think that assignment is about copying the content of a variable. Assignment in Python is simply giving a new name to an object.
Yes, and so is passing by value! -- Greg -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
