while (a=b()) ...

[Tim Peters]

[/F]
> ...
> now, has anyone written any useful Python code today?

[Steven D. Majewsk]
> OK -- new suggested idiom for those folks who Really, Really have
> to have it all in one statement (It *could* be on one line, but you
> wouldn't be able to read it):
>
>
> import sys,string
>
> while setattr( sys.modules[__name__], 'LINE',
> 		getattr( sys.modules[__name__], 'FILE',
> 		  setattr( sys.modules[__name__], 'FILE',
> 		    getattr( sys.modules[__name__], 'FILE',
> 		      open('ReadMe')))).readline()) or LINE: print \
> string.strip(LINE)

Steven, Steven, Steven, this opens the file again for every line!  There's
no need to sacrifice efficiency for elegance -- not in Python.  Note how
much clearer this variant is, yet opening the file just once, and avoiding
those pesky  getattr calls:

while setattr(sys.modules[__name__],
              'LINE',
              (hasattr(sys.modules[__name__], 'FILE') and FILE
               or (setattr(sys.modules[__name__],
                   'FILE',
                   open('ReadMe')
                  )
               or FILE)
              ).readline()
             ) or LINE: print string.strip(LINE)

The only further improvement I can think of is to introduce $ as a special
identifier, short for sys.module[__name__].

and-maybe- at -for-string.strip-while-we're-at-it<wink>-ly y'rs  - tim