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[Python-Dev] Alternate notation for global variable assignments

Delaney, Timothy C (Timothy) tdelaney at avaya.com
Mon Oct 27 19:00:43 EST 2003 
> From: Zack Weinberg [mailto:zack at codesourcery.com]
> >>
> > However, its use in such expressions as
> >
> > 	sublist = lst[:var]
> >
> > would lead to substantial ambiguities, right?
> 
> I suppose it would.  Unfortunately, there's no other punctuation mark
> that can really be used for the purpose -- I think both $ and @
> (suggested elsewhere in response to a similar proposal) have
> too many countervailing connotations.  Witness e.g. the suggestion
> last week that $ become magic in string % dict notation.

First of all, I'm strongly *against* the idea of :var.

However, I think a syntax that would work with no ambiguities, and not look too bad, would be:

    .var

e.g.

    sublist = lst[.var]

I would also be strongly against this suggestion - it simply deals with the problems I see with the current suggestion. It has its own problems, including (but not limited to) not being very obvious.

Tim Delaney
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