Peter Hansen wrote: > Steven D'Aprano wrote: > >> Python does not have references or pointers, except internally where >> Python coders can not get to them. It has names and objects. Keep >> thinking >> about "call by reference" and you just confuse yourself and others. Think >> about names and objects and it is simple and straight-forward. > > > I won't argue the point, but I would point out that the term "name" is > insufficient for whatever it is that is stored inside a list. > > What do you call it, if not a reference? The word "binding" isn't > really appropriate here, as it is easily confused with the operation of > binding (i.e. usually what assignment does).
I just call it an item of the list. The fact that CPython uses an array of pointers to objects for lists is an implementation detail. Unfortunately, while "reference" is a nice generic English word, in this context it has too much mental baggage to safely use around newbies. (Experience Pythonistas is another story of course.) -- Steven. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
