[Python-ideas] Keyword same in right hand side of assignments

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:37:59 am Heinrich W Puschmann wrote:
> Python-Ideas: Keyword same in right hand side of assignments
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>----------------------
>
> It is proposed to introduce a Keyword "same",
> to be used in the right hand side of assignments, as follows:
>  
>   "xx = same + 5" or "xx = 5 + same"  synonymous with  "xx += 5"
>   "value =  2*same + 5"  synonymous with "value =*2; value +=5"
>   "switch = 1 - same"  synonymous with "switch *-1; switch +=1"
>   "lst = same + [5,6]"  synonymous with  "lst += [5,6]"
>   "lst = [5,6] + same" synonymous with  "lst = [5,6] + lst"
>   "lst[2] = 1/same" synonymous with  "lst[2] **=-1"
>  
> and so on.

What's the point? Why not just write the following?

xx = xx + 5
value = 2*value + 5
switch = 1 - switch
lst = lst + [5,6]
lst = [5,6] + lst
lst[2] = 1/lst[2]

What value do we gain by creating a new keyword that obscures what the 
assignment does?

-- 
Steven D'Aprano