On 04Apr2012 19:47, Georg Brandl <g.brandl@gmx.net> wrote: | Am 04.04.2012 18:18, schrieb Ethan Furman: | > Lennart Regebro wrote: | >> On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 18:07, Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> wrote: | >>> What's unclear about returning None if no clocks match? | >> | >> Nothing, but having to check error values on return functions are not | >> what you typically do in Python. Usually, Python functions that fail | >> raise an error. Please don't force Python users to write pseudo-C code | >> in Python. | > | > You mean like the dict.get() function? | > | > --> repr({}.get('missing')) | > 'None' | | Strawman: this is not a failure. And neither is get_clock() returning None. get_clock() is an inquiry function, and None is a legitimate response when no clock is satisfactory, just as a dict has no key for a get(). Conversely, monotonic() ("gimme the time!") and indeed time() should raise an exception if there is no clock. They're, for want of a word, "live" functions you would routinely embed in a calculation. So not so much a straw man as a relevant illuminating example. -- Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> DoD#743 http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/ A crash reduces your expensive computer to a simple stone. - Haiku Error Messages http://www.salonmagazine.com/21st/chal/1998/02/10chal2.html