Home Original page

Please help with MemoryError

Ethan Furman ethan at stoneleaf.us
Fri Feb 12 15:33:28 EST 2010 
mk wrote:
> John Posner wrote:
> 
>>>      http://effbot.org/zone/call-by-object.htm
>>>      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaluation_strategy
> 
>> [1] http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/2008-May/008583.html
> 
> Hmm how about "call by label-value"?
> 
> That is, you change labels by assignment, but pass the value of the 
> label to a function. Since label value is passed, original label is not 
> changed (i.e. it's not call by reference).
> 
> However, an object referenced by label value can be changed in Python, 
> like in classic example of list label passed to a function and then this 
> list being modified in a function.
> 
> Regards,
> mk
> 

Because "value" and "reference" are already well defined terms with very 
definite meanings, I think using them in any way to describe Python's 
model will lead to confusion.

Seems to me that "call by object", a term coined decades ago, and that 
accurately defines the way that Python (the language) actually does it, 
should be the term used.

My $0.02.

~Ethan~
More information about the Python-list mailing list