[Python-Dev] list comprehensions

[Greg Ward]

On 21 June 2000, Paul Prescod said:
> Is there an argument for putting in features with flaming red neon
> lights: "warning, experimental, use at your risk." We want to follow a
> bazaar (if not outright bizarre) development strategy after all. Putting
> a patch "out there" really doesn't do much about having people really
> play with and comment on a feature. I would never have experimented (and
> decided against using...) metaclasses if they hadn't popped up as an
> experimental feature.

Well, remember there will probably be a "--with-gc" option to the
configure script in 1.6.  That's a good example of getting an
experimental feature out there.

However, a "--with-list-comprehensions" option would be a really bad
idea; all of a sudden, it's no longer enough to say, "You need Python
1.6" to run this script/use this module, now you need to say, "You need
Python 1.6 built with list comprehensions".  Ugh.

Real language features should not be selectable: either the language is
Python 1.6 or it isn't.

       Greg
-- 
Greg Ward - software developer                gward@mems-exchange.org
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