[Python-ideas] How assignment should work with generators?

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 10:49:19AM +1300, Greg Ewing wrote:
> C Anthony Risinger wrote:
> >Is __len__ a viable option now that __length_hint__ has been identified 
> >for hints?
> 
> No, I misremembered that feature, sorry.
> 
> But I still don't like the idea of changing behaviour
> depending on whether the RHS "looks like" an iterator
> or not.

The reason I oppose that is that in all other ways related to iteration, 
iterators are a perfect substitute for any other iterable:

  for x in iterable: pass
  list(iterable)
  function(*iterable)
  a, *b, c = iterable
  a, *b = iterable


all behave identically whether iterable is a list or an iterator. This 
would make the last example, and only that, behave differently depending 
on whether you pass an iterator or some other iterable.



-- 
Steve