How does Python (v2.1.1) handle parameter passing? By value or by reference?
Richard Jones
richard at bizarsoftware.com.au
Wed Aug 22 19:14:55 EDT 2001
On Thursday 23 August 2001 07:57, Rob van Wees wrote:
> As a newbie to Python, I'm having trouble finding out how the interpreter
> handles parameters that are passed to functions. Sometimes they seem to be
> handled as values and sometimes as references.
A handy point to remember is that python variables are _always_ references to
objects. That includes function/method arguments. Think of them as just being
labels. Thus "x = 1" just makes a label called "x" for the object 1. Then "x
= x + 1" makes a label for the object that results from the operation "x +
1". "def foo(a):" makes a label called "a" for whatever object is passed to
the function when it's invoked.
Richard
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