[Python-ideas] 'default' keyword argument for max(), min()

[George Sakkis]

On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 3:11 PM, Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> wrote:

> On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:17:07 am Raymond Hettinger wrote:
>> [Adam Atlas]
>>
>> >I propose adding a "default" keyword argument to max() and min(),
>> > which provides a value to return in the event that an empty
>> > iterable is passed.
>>
>> Could you write your proposal out in pure python so
>> we can see how it interacts with the key-keyword
>> argument and how it works when the number of
>> positional arguments is not one.
>>
>> Will min(default=0) still return a TypeError?
>> Will min(1, 2, default=0) return 0 or 1?
>> Will min([1,2], default=0) return 1?  # different from min([0,1,2])
>
> I would expect the answers should be:
>
> Yes, 1 and 1
>
> but I'd be prepared to be talked into:
>
> No, 1 and 1.

I think it would be counter-intuitive and error-prone if min(iterable,
default=0) was different from min(*iterable, default=0), so I'd say no
on the first one.

George