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[Python-Dev] [poll] New name for __builtins__

Christian Heimes lists at cheimes.de
Thu Nov 29 12:36:15 CET 2007 
Neil Toronto wrote:
>> Since Python 3.0 supports all unicode chars I vote for __überglobal__.
> 
> Make it untypeable to most Americans so as to discourage use? If that's 
> what we're going for, I suggest the somewhat more self-documenting and 
> less impossible __the_dictionary_where_all_the_builtins_are_now__.

:)
OK, let's get serious again.

> Seriously, though, I really liked __universal__. It's part of a theme: 
> local < global < universal, and it communicates itself well. __root__ 
> and its ilk don't bring anything concrete to mind, just abstract trees. 
> I don't think of namespaces as trees when I'm coding a function - 
> they're more like layers or overlays at that level.

You are making a very good point! Thank you, you have added a new
perspective to the discussion. :)

I tend to agree that local, nonlocal, global and the-other-thingie are
more like the layers of an onion than a tree. It makes sense to me. The
name lookup starts at the local level and goes all the way out until it
reaches the universal level. Or does it go in until it reaches the core
of the onion? It's a matter of perspective. __universal__ or __core__ ?

Christian
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