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copysort patch, was RE: [Python-Dev] inline sort option

Aahz aahz at pythoncraft.com
Fri Oct 24 16:00:57 EDT 2003 
On Wed, Oct 22, 2003, Guido van Rossum wrote:
>Raymond Hettinger:
>>
>> Did the discussion of a sort() expression get resolved?
>> 
>> The last I remember was that the list.sorted() classmethod had won the
>> most support because it accepted the broadest range of inputs.
>> 
>> I could live with that though I still prefer the more limited
>> (list-only) copysort() method.
> 
> list.sorted() has won, but we are waiting from feedback from the
> person who didn't like having both sort() and sorted() as methods, to
> see if his objection still holds when one is a method and the other a
> factory function.

Actually, I was another person who expressed dislike for "sorted()"
causing confusion, but previous calls for feedback were restricted to
those who felt comfortable expressing opinions for non-English speakers.
I'm still -1 on sorted() compared to copysort(), but because it's a
different context, I'm no longer actively opposed (which is why I didn't
bother speaking up earlier).  I still think that a purely grammatical
change in spelling is not appropriate to indicate meaning, particularly
when it's still the same part of speech (both verbs).  To my mind,
sorted() implies a Boolean predicate.
-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"It is easier to optimize correct code than to correct optimized code."
--Bill Harlan
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