[Python-Dev] docs - Copy

[Alexander Belopolsky]

On Thu, Jun 24, 2010 at 8:51 PM, Rich Healey <healey.rich at gmail.com> wrote:
> http://docs.python.org/library/copy.html
>
> Just near the bottom it reads:
>
> """Shallow copies of dictionaries can be made using dict.copy(), and
> of lists by assigning a slice of the entire list, for example,
> copied_list = original_list[:]."""
>
>
> Surely this is a typo? To my understanding, copied_list =
> original_list[:] gives you a clean copy (slicing returns a new
> object....)
>

If you read the doc excerpt carefully, you will realize that it says
the same thing.  I agree that the language can be improved, though.
There is no need to bring in assignment to explain that a[:] makes a
copy of list a.   Please create a documentation issue at
http://bugs.python.org .  If you can suggest a better formulation, it
is likely to be accepted.