[Python-ideas] parameter omit

[Aaron Brady]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Josiah Carlson [mailto:jcarlson at uci.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 8:04 PM
> 
> "Aaron Brady" <castironpi at comcast.net> wrote:
> > Also, any follow-up on this?  (I posted at top.)
> 
> I don't like it.  The current calling semantics are sufficient for the
> vast majority of cases.  For those cases that are not covered by the
> current calling semantics, there is a PEP for allowing variations in
> optional arguments, keyword arguments, etc.  I can't remember the number,
> but the PEP index has it.
> 
> As for signaling "use the default", there is a standard method: omit the
> argument.  If you want the argument to always be required to be a
> keyword argument, you can use...
> 
>     def foo(arg1, **kwargs):
>         arg2 = kwargs.get('arg2', 1.2325)
>         arg3 = kwargs.get('arg3', 'hello')
>         ...
> 
>  - Josiah

I don't like it.  Cobol is sufficient.  Python is very cool.

>     def foo(arg1, **kwargs):
>         arg2 = kwargs.get('arg2', 1.2325)
>         arg3 = kwargs.get('arg3', 'hello')
>         ...

Library functions have many parameters, and huge if statements are hard to
read.  My solution costs only a single built-in object, not even a keyword
or syntax modification.  Your solution takes a three-line function
definition.  Compare to mine:

     def foo(arg1, argFoo=1.2325, argBree='hello'):
         ...

Specific and concise.  Clearly better, by all measures I read.