proposed language change to int/int==float (was: PEP0238 lament)

[Kirby Urner]

"Andy Salnikov" <salnikov at inp.nsk.su> wrote:

>  Would not it be better to have rationals first and than change meaning of
>int/int->rational, than changing first to int/int->float and then to
>int/int->rational?
>
>Cheers,
>Andy.
>

This echoes my sentiments over on edu-sig at python.org:

   Were I in charge, I might have preferred that / remain the
   way it is, until/unless a more Scheme-like inclusion of
   the rational number type (different from float) came along,
   which would happen when the "long" type melted away, and
   became part of "int" (seamless i.e. no difference from the
   user's point of view).  This might have happened in 3.xx.
   I think it's somewhat premature to fiddle with / in 2.x.

More context:  http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/2001-July/001543.html
where I admit it:  I'm not in charge :-D

Kirby