while (a=b()) ... (famous last words, or something)

[Fredrik Lundh]

Nathan Clegg wrote:
> > but I still claim that this whole issue is just a big
> > time sink.  just READING a single post on this topic
> > (including this one) takes more time than you'll
> > ever spend typing:
> 
> Was Guido's time spent writing python a waste?

you lost me there.  according to most accounts,
GvR created Python to be able to script the Amoeba
operating system (which had no decent shell at that
time).

the idea was to be able to do something that wasn't
possible.

not to save a keypress or two.

> One would imagine debating improvements for those
> who go on is noble enough.  Principle over practice,
> occasionally.

one could also imagine that since this discussion
pops up now and then (together with the "I want
curly braces cuz my old language had that" and a
few other oddities), all possible arguments have
already been posted to this group a dozen times
or more.  I've been reading this group since 1995,
and I think I've seen them all.  still, despite all
those powerful arguments ("it's ugly", "it's in-
efficient", "it abuses the while construct", "it's
not like C", "it's soo verbose"), nobody has bothered
to implement it.

and when you ask experienced Python programmers
what they would like to add to Python, they NEVER
mention this.

I'm beginning to think that if you really consider this
as a problem, you're simply not writing enough Python
code.

and you can quote me on that.

...

(guess the corollary is that if you're experienced
enough to actually come up with a patch for this,
you no longer see it as a problem.)

...

I suggest that all potential contributors to this thread
read the relevant FAQ entry a few times, until you under-
stand *every* part of it:

    http://www.python.org/doc/FAQ.html#6.30

especially this paragraph:

    "An interesting phenomenon is that most experienced
    Python programmers recognize the "while 1" idiom and
    don't seem to be missing the assignment in expression
    construct much; it's only the newcomers who express
    a strong desire to add this to the language."

(if you want proof, just check the archives).

...and if you still think you should add yet another
post to this thread, ask yourself if you couldn't use
all this time and energy on some real improvements.
why not write some really cool Python stuff and give
it away?  or join a SIG. contribute a section to the
library reference. answer some questions on the
newsgroup. implement something similar to tcl's
channels and fileevent stuff. join the tutor list, and
help real newbies get started. add unicode support
to pcre (or come up with an alternate regexp package
which supports 16-bit chars). register for the geek
cruise. port Python to the PalmPilot. write an article
for your favourite computer magazine (or submit a paper
to the next conference).  replace the array module
with the multiarray module.  write a bunch of gnome
or kde tools in Python.  add static typing to the
language.  rewrite re.py in C.  

there's a whole universe out there, full of really useful
stuff waiting to be done.  so what are you guys doing in
the basement?

</F>