[Python-ideas] keywording prohibited

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

spir writes:

 > Depends on your pov. I consider the _possibility_ of using 'list',
 > 'range' or 'type' as a name for totally custom thing, without even
 > a warning, an issue, not a wishable feature. It _invents_ very hard
 > to diagnose bugs.

If you want warnings, use pylint.  It catches all of those.

On the other hand, Python's even-handed treatment of builtins,
standard library identifiers, and user-defined identifiers makes for a
great simplification in the rules for the language, and allows for
introspective usage:

# Here's something you can do for fun on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
the_artist_formerly_known_as_list = list
def list(thing):
    print "Somebody called list!"
    return the_artist_formerly_known_as_list(thing)

For most of us, the gain in simplicity and power is well worth the pain.

 > Strangely enough, I cannot imagine a use case for 'for' or 'in' or
 > 'while' as names. while these ones are protected (indeed, I don't
 > mean they shouldn't).

Dunno about the other two, but in C I used to use the equivalent of

    in = open("mind", "r")
    text = in.readlines()

all the time.