[Python-Dev] xrange vs generators

[Thomas Heller]

> > With generators in the language, should xrange be deprecated?
> > 
> > Skip
> 
> No, but maybe xrange() should be changed to return an iterator.
> E.g. something like this:
> 
>   def xrange(start, stop, step):
>       while start < stop:
>           yield start
>           start += stop
> 
> but with the appropriate defaults, and reversal of the test if step <
> 0, and an error if step == 0, and type checks enforcing ints (or long
> ints!), and implemented in C. :-)
> 
> Although xrange() objects currently support some sequence algebra,
> that is mostly bogus and I don't think anyone in their right mind uses
> it.
I _was_ using xrange as sets representing (potentially large)
ranges of ints.
Example:

positive = xrange(1, sys.maxint)

if num in positive:
   ...

I didt follow the iterators discussion: would this
continue to work?

Thomas