[Python-ideas] Make None a subclass of int [alternative to iNaN]

[Ken Hilton]

Hi all,

Reading the iNaN discussion, most of the opposition seems to be that adding
iNaN would add a new special value to integers and therefore add new
complexity.

I propose, instead, that we make None a subclass of int (or even a certain
value of int) to represent iNaN. Therefore:

    >>> None + 1, None - 1, None * 2, None / 2, None // 2
    (None, None, None, nan, None) # mathematical operations on NaN return
NaN
    >>> None & 1, None | 1, None ^ 1
    # I'm not sure about this one. The following could be plausible:
    (0, 1, 1)
    # or this might make more sense, as this *is* NaN we're talking about:
    (None, None, None)
    >>> isinstance(None, int)
    True # the whole point of this idea
    >>> issubclass(type(None), int)
    True # no matter whether None *is* an int or just a subclass, this will
be true as issubclass(int, int) is True

I know this is a crazy idea, but I thought it could have some merit, so why
not throw it out here?

Sharing,
Ken Hilton;
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