[Python-Dev] closure semantics

[Guido van Rossum]

[Guido]
> > But all this is moot unless someone comes up with a way to spell this
> > that doesn't require a new keyword or change the meaning of 'global x'
> > even if there's an x at an intermediate scope (i.e. you can't change
> > 'global x' to mean "search for the next outer scope that defines x").
> >
> > And we still have to answer Alex's complaint that newbies misinterpret
> > the word 'global'.

[Jeremy]
> I'm not averse to introducing a new keyword, which would address both
> concerns.  yield was introduced with apparently little problem, so it seems
> possible to add a keyword without causing too much disruption.
> 
> If we decide we must stick with global, then it's very hard to address
> Alex's concern about global being a confusing word choice <wink>.

OK, the tension is mounting.  Which keyword do you have in mind?  And
would you use the same keyword for module-globals as for outer-scope
variables?

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)