John Posner wrote: > On 2/19/2010 2:25 PM, Terry Reedy wrote: >> On 2/19/2010 12:44 PM, Stephen Hansen wrote: >> >>> Much to my embarrassment, sometime last night I realized I was being a >>> complete idiot, and the 'correct' way to handle this in my scenario is >>> really just: >>> >>> def initialize(): >>> # do one time processing here >>> >>> return [] >>> >>> A generator is just a callable that returns an iterator, after all. >> >> Confusing generators and generator functions is, well, confusing. >> For future reference, and clarity of communication in Pythonland, >> >> generator function: function that produces a generator when called; if >> python coded, its body contains 'yield'. >> >> generator: iterator produced by a generator function; > > I suggest: > > iterator produced by a generator function or a generator expression; > > has .__next__ and >> self-returning .__init__, like all other iterators. >> >> generator expression: an expression that evaluates to a generator; the >> expression is used to create a temporary anonymous generator function >> that is called to produce the generator and is then discarded. > > Note that the Py2.6.4 documentation is inconsistent. AFAICT, it conforms > to Terry's definitions above in most places. But the Glossary says: > > generator > A function which returns an iterator. <... more ...> > > generator expression > An expression that returns a generator. <... more ...> > > The additional verbiage in these definitions mitigates the damage, but I > think the first entry should be headlined *generator function* instead > of *generator*. And the Glossary should include Terry's additional entry > [ as amended by me :-) ]: > > generator > An iterator produced by a generator function or a generator > expression. > > -John > +1. Can someone submit a documentation patch, please?
regards Steve -- Steve Holden +1 571 484 6266 +1 800 494 3119 PyCon is coming! Atlanta, Feb 2010 http://us.pycon.org/ Holden Web LLC http://www.holdenweb.com/ UPCOMING EVENTS: http://holdenweb.eventbrite.com/ -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
