Named code blockes

[Alex Martelli]

<James_Althoff at i2.com> wrote in message
news:mailman.988139077.14935.python-list at python.org...
    [snip]
> One genius clamored for a huge new mechanism that would at
> last, in the Plenitude of Glory, let him write "let x = y"
> versus "set x = y" so he'd get ``declarations'' -- and then,
> when somebody showed him how easily he could set things up
> so as to write "let.x = y" and "set.x = y", he claimed his
> coworkers would kill him if he programmed that way.  Well
> isn't that obvious, that being able to have a SPACE there
> instead of a PERIOD is the be-all, end-all of programming?!
> Isn't it _absolutely_ obvious that placing a period there
> will lead to justified homicide...?
>
> <jim response>
> (In defense of the "genius" mentioned above, just because
> one does not agree with another's opinion does not warrant
> rudeness in one's posts.)

I fully agree that rudeness is not warranted JUST because
of disagreement -- it only becomes warranted, if at all, if
the "other" is being rude first.  So I don't see how this
observation "defends" our sweetly beloved genius in any
way.  But pursuing this would no doubt lead us along the
same old garden path once again -- is it "rude" to point
out how ridiculous somebody is being by his advocacy of a
certain idea, for example?  Or is it rude to post ridiculous
ideas in the first place?-)

Bah, no matter -- I do NOT consider daydreaming about
being able to have an unnamed function/codeblock in any
way ridiculous, just maybe a misplaced emphasis in my
opinion.  A completely different level of disagreement:-).


Alex