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[Python-Dev] Alternate notation for global variable assignments

Steve Holden sholden at holdenweb.com
Mon Oct 27 16:25:56 EST 2003 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: python-dev-bounces+sholden=holdenweb.com at python.org
> [mailto:python-dev-bounces+sholden=holdenweb.com at python.org]On
>  Behalf Of
> Zack Weinberg
> Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 1:15 PM
> To: python-dev
> Subject: [Python-Dev] Alternate notation for global variable
> assignments
>
>
>
> I like Just's := concept except for the similarity to =, and I worry
> that the presence of := in the language will flip people into "Pascal
> mode" -- thinking that = is the equality operator.  I also think that
> the notation is somewhat unnatural -- "globalness" is a property of
> the _variable_, not the operator.  So I'd like to suggest instead
>
>    :var       = value   # var in module scope
>    :scope:var = value   # var in named enclosing scope
>
> An advantage of this notation is that it can be used anywhere, not
> just in an assignment.  This has primary value for people reading the
> code -- if you have a fairly large class method that uses a module
> variable (not by assigning it) somewhere in the middle, writing it
> :var means the reader knows to go look for the assignment way up top.
> This should obviously be optional, to preserve backward compatibility.
>
However, its use in such expressions as

	sublist = lst[:var]

would lead to substantial ambiguities, right?

regards
--
Steve Holden          +1 703 278 8281        http://www.holdenweb.com/
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