[Python-bugs-list] [ python-Bugs-753602 ] random.sample not properly documented

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Bugs item #753602, was opened at 2003-06-12 18:18
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by tim_one
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Category: Documentation
Group: Python 2.3
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Submitted By: Gerrit Holl (gerrit)
>Assigned to: Raymond Hettinger (rhettinger)
Summary: random.sample not properly documented

Initial Comment:
random.sample seems to take a third argument:

 38 >>> random.sample(seq, 10, 'bla')
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in ?
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.3/random.py", line 247,
in sample
    j = int(random() * (n-i))
TypeError: 'str' object is not callable

However, the docs don't mention it.
I will try to patch it tomorrow (need to find out what
it does first ;)

Gerrit.

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>Comment By: Tim Peters (tim_one)
Date: 2003-06-12 20:06

Message:
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It's documented correctly.  The third argument is

int=int

and is simply a speed trick to avoid the expense of looking up 
the builtin name "int" in the function body every time the 
function is called.  Lots of speed-intensive functions do that, 
alas.  Since you're calling function with three arguments 
that's documented as taking two, your code is in error.

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