[Python-Dev] PEP 201, zip() builtin

Barry A. Warsaw bwarsaw@beopen.com
Fri, 28 Jul 2000 01:50:57 -0400 (EDT)


>>>>> "TP" == Tim Peters <tim_one@email.msn.com> writes:

    TP> Could we please change "Parallel" to, e.g., "Lockstep"
    TP> throughout?  Greg Wilson correctly pointed out that "parallel"
    TP> in the context of loops means something very different to the
    TP> scientific branch of the Python community.  Easier to fix this
    TP> now that after it's spread to the docs.

I know, and I guess I never came up with anything better which is why
I didn't change it.  "Lockstep" it is.

    TP> Just as you realized how inappropriate "parallel" was right
    TP> here <wink>.

Heh.

    >> # find the length of the shortest sequence shortest =
    >> min(*map(len, args))

    TP> Clearer as

    >> shortest = min(map(len, args))

A little experimentation leftover.  Good catch.

    TP> However, this implies that all sequences must tell the truth
    TP> about their lengths, but the iteration protocol actually
    TP> terminates via a sequence raising IndexError.  I believe we
    TP> want zip to follow the iteration protocol, in effect breaking
    TP> out of the outer loop as soon as some s[i] raises IndexError.
    TP> This was agreed to by all (incl. the BDFL) in some other
    TP> year's debates over this.

Yup, I always intended the C implementation to obey the undocumented
iteration protocol.  But it /is/ better if the PEP's implementation
were closer to the eventual C code, so I've swapped in a replacement.

    >> prefers zip() due to it's Haskell[2] heritage.  See version 1.7

    TP> "its", not "it's"

Good catch.

    >> - Lazy evaluation.  An earlier version of this PEP proposed
    >> that zip() return a built-in object that performed lazy
    >> evaluation using __getitem__() protocol.  This has been
    >> strongly rejected by the BDFL in favor of returning a real
    >> Python list.  If lazy evaluation is desired in the future, the
    >> BDFL suggests an xzip() function be added.

    TP> Which he'll then fight tooth and nail <wink>.

:)

    >> ...

    TP> Nice job, Barry!  Thank you.

My pleasure!
-Barry