>> >>i always use the structure analogy. if you view (width, height) as a >>structure, >>use a tuple. if you view it a sequence, use a list. in this example, i view >>it >>as a stucture, so i would use (width, height) as a tuple. > > > Right, but there's an unfortunate ambiguity in the term "sequence", > since in Python it is defined to include tuple. I gather you meant > more in the abstract sense of a data collection whose interesting > properties are of a sequential nature, as opposed to the way we are > typically more interested in positional access to a tuple. Maybe > a more computer literate reader will have a better word for this, > that doesn't collide with Python terminology. My semi-formal > operational definition is "a is similar to a[x:y], where > x is not 0 or y is not -1, and `similar' means `could be a legal > value in the same context.'" > > Donn Cave, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
yes, you are correct. i shouldn't have used the word "sequence" which is a python term. maybe structure vs. array. in any case, i think the *wrong* answer that is often given to this question is along the lines of if it's read only, make it a tuple. if it's read write, make it a list. a great trivial example is a point. a point is a structure (x, y). if you have many points then you have a list of structures: [(x, y), (x1, y1), (x2, y2), ...]. to me, it doesn't matter if you want to modify a point. if you do then create a new one, but don't make it a list just to make it modifiable. bryan -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
