[Python-ideas] Why does += trigger UnboundLocalError?

Rob Cliffe rob.cliffe at btinternet.com
Wed Jun 1 12:43:14 CEST 2011


> Yes, Jacob has got exactly what I was proposing. x += 1; x = 2 should 
> continue to fail, since there would be a = statement in the function 
> body in that case.
>
> -- Carl

My first reaction was: +1 on the proposed change.  It seemed logical.

Then I had a reservation: it would widen the semantic difference between
         x += 1
and
         x = x + 1
which could trip someone innocently making a "trivial" code change from 
the former to the latter (x unintentionally becomes a local).

So how about going further and say that x is only interpreted as local 
if there is at least one NON-augmented assignment in which x appears as 
a target on the LHS but x does NOT appear on the RHS?
I.e.
     x = x + 1
(like "x += 1") does not (by itself) make x local.

Or is this getting too hard to explain?

Best wishes
Rob Cliffe



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