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functional programming

Tim Peters tim_one at email.msn.com
Thu Feb 24 02:46:04 EST 2000 
[Moshe Zadka, to Aahz]
> Assuming we're still in "search of truth" mode, rather then "proving
> I'm right" mode, I want to clarify my claim: *efficienct* functional
> programming is, in general, impossible without tail-recursion. I don't
> agree with the timbot that tail-recursion is contrary to the "Python
> Way", but it's not in Python right now, anyway.
>
> Are we in agreement now?

You and Aahz maybe, but now we've got a fight <wink>.  There's nothing
un-Pythonic about recursion, tail or otherwise.  It's tail-call
*optimization* that's un-Pythonic, as it's a gimmick supported by only a
handful of widely unused <0.5 wink> languages and surprising to people
coming from anything else:  damaging tracebacks would be Major Badness, much
worse than the gain for the relative thimbleful of people who are
uncomfortable coding loops etc.

proving-i'm-right-*is*-searching-for-truth<wink>-ly y'rs  - tim
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