[Python-Dev] Those import related syntax errors again...

[Guido van Rossum]

> I should admit that I like the idea of nested scopes, because I like functional
> programming style, but I don't know whether this returning 3 is nice ;)?
> 
> def f():
>  def g():
>    return y
>  # put as many innoncent code lines as you like
>  y=3
>  return g()

This is a red herring; I don't see how this differs from the confusion
in

  def f():
      print y
      # lots of code
      y = 3

and I don't see how nested scopes add a new twist to this known issue.

> It really seems that there's not been enough discussion about the change,

Maybe,

> and I think that is also ok to honestely be worried about what user
> will feel about this? (and we can only think about this beacuse
> the feedback is not that much)

FUD.

> Will this code breakage "scare" them and slow down migration to new versions
> of python? They are already afraid of going 2.0(?). It is maybe just PR matter
> but ...

More FUD.

> The *point* is  that we are not going from version 0.8 to version 0.9
> of our toy research lisp dialect, passing from dynamic scoping to lexical
> scoping. (Yes, I think, that changing semantic behind the scene is not
> a polite move.)

Well, I'm actually glad to hear this -- Python now has such a large
user base that language changes are deemed impractical.

> We really need the BDFL proposing the right thing.

We'll discuss this more at the PythonLabs group meeting.  For now, I
prefer to move forward with nested scopes, breaking code and all.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)