[Python-ideas] Short form for keyword arguments and dicts

Ethan Furman ethan at stoneleaf.us
Wed Jun 26 01:32:13 CEST 2013


On 06/25/2013 02:43 AM, Andrew Barnert wrote:
> From: Greg Ewing:
>
>> I dispute that they're different names. In the use cases
>> I have in mind, it's no accident that the two names are
>> spelled the same, because conceptually they represent the
>> very same thing.
>
> I've already asked Anders this, but let me ask you as well: What are the use cases you have in mind?
>
> As I see it, there are three cases (barring coincidences, which are obviously irrelevant) where this syntax could make a difference:
>
> 1. dict constructor
> 2. str.format
> 3. forwarding functions (like my example with get_appdir_url)

For me it's mostly #3, and the cases where I use it passing positionally is not an option because the arguments are 
keyword only.

If something like this comes to pass, I would argue for the syntax that MRAB suggested:

   some_func(pos1, pos2, =, keyword, keyword, keyword)

or possibly:

   some_func(pos1, pos2, *, keyword, keyword, keyword)

to mirror the function definition.

--
~Ethan~


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