[Python-ideas] Python docs: page: In what ways in None special

[Chris Barker]

Since I already spent a bunch of time on this, I did a PR:

https://github.com/jfine2358/py-jfine2358/pull/2

further discussion should probably be in that PR / repo

-CHB


On Wed, Aug 15, 2018 at 9:02 AM, Chris Barker - NOAA Federal <
chris.barker at noaa.gov> wrote:

> > None is keyword, and just like any other keyword, it can't be re-bound.
>
>
> >> it's only a keyword because Python doesn't otherwise have a way of
> creating non-rebindable names.  It's purpose is to represent the singular
> object of NoneType, and in that sense it's a literal as much as [] or "".
>
> We’re getting kind of pedantic here, but no, it’s not “as much as” — []
> and “” create new instances of a list or string.
>
> For the purposes of this document, however, these are pretty esoteric
> distinctions.
>
> What the docs should make clear is that None ( and True and False ) is a
> singleton— None will always refer to the SAME None object.
>
> And that can be demonstrated by showing that you can’t rebind the name
> None.
>
> But I think it’s misleading to say that that is the same as:
>
> 42 = “something else”
>
> None is syntactical a name like any other — what’s special about is that
> it can’t be rebound.
>
> -CHB
>
> >
> > --
> > Rhodri James *-* Kynesim Ltd
>



-- 

Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
Oceanographer

Emergency Response Division
NOAA/NOS/OR&R            (206) 526-6959   voice
7600 Sand Point Way NE   (206) 526-6329   fax
Seattle, WA  98115       (206) 526-6317   main reception

Chris.Barker at noaa.gov
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-ideas/attachments/20180815/9473132a/attachment.html>