[Python-Dev] python-dev Summary for 2003-01-16 through 2003-01-31

[Brett Cannon]

[Christian Tismer]

> Brett Cannon wrote:
> > Well, my brain didn't pop from the extended syntax thread, so I am happy.
> > =)  Why did you guys have to have such a major discussion at the end of
> > the month (and have an explosion of big emails right at the end no less!)?
> > And of course I decide to try to introduce something new in this summary
> > that upped my workload.  Lucky me.  =)  OK, enough complaining (oh wait, I
> > don't get paid for this; I guess I can complain  =).
>
> Please, complain more. If you were employed, you
> should ask for compensation for pain and suffering.
>

=)

> I have not followed this thread (happy me + unlucky me.)
> And I don't intend to write a summary (lucky me.)
>
> After trying to follow it partially and failing
> completely, I'm asking if there is an alternate
> way of discussing such matters?
> There is no way of reading this thread for me.
> I cannot get it into any shape, since I haven't
> followed it online. This will be a similar
> problem for anybody who tries to read it after
> the fact, like me (with similar incapabilities).
>

I think part of the problem with that thread was that it started off as a
discussion about the proposed ``def foo() []:`` syntax and then branched
right into both that and property syntax which then spawned a discussion
on thunks; almost all of it happened under a single thread.

Now I realize they all have some form of a connection, but all three are
major proposals and it became difficult (at least for me) to separate out
when people were discussing what, let alone trying to make sure that I
personally understood the namespace issues.

The only way I could have seen that situation handled better would be to
have resolved the ``[]`` syntax idea first, and then move to the next one
and dealing with only a single issue (such as locking down the preferred
syntax before worrying about thunks  or deciding that thunks were
happening regardless of syntax choice and thus trying to nail that down).

But since they were all major changes to Python everyone just leapt in
while they could to comment (which is not necessarily a bad thing;  justs
sucks down my time =).

It was just a lot to digest.  Just so everyone knows, if you ever feel a
thread has become too large for you to digest, feel free to email me
either personally or to the list and ask for a summary of what has
happened so far.  I try to keep the summary partially written at all
times, so hopefully I should have a rough summary for any thread at any
point for people to read.  And if I don't I am going to need to anyway so
having to do it sooner than later is perfectly fine with me.

-Brett