Bartc <b...@freeuk.com> writes: > On 07/11/2015 03:43, Ben Finney wrote: > > Bartc <b...@freeuk.com> writes: > > > >> Is there no way then in Python to declare: > >> > >> pi = 3.141519 # etc > >> > >> and make it impossible to override? > > > > No, and it would be a bad thing if that were something a library author > > could forbid. > > > > Python assumes the programmers using it are consenting adults. Doing > > harmful things is difficult but not forbidden. > > But surely it can't hurt to ensure certain values can't be changed > accidentally or maliciously?
The value ‘3.141519’ (in your example above) can't be changed. That value will always be exactly the same, as long as the program is running. What I think you mean is “surely it can't hurt to ensure certain names can never be bound to any value but their initial binding”. On that I strongly disagree, for the reasons already discussed in this thread: it arrogates to the library author the power to forbid patching the library, which cripples extending, debugging, introspection, and a host of other useful activities. -- \ “I object to doing things that computers can do.” —Olin Shivers | `\ | _o__) | Ben Finney -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
