PEP 308: "then" "else" for deprecating "and" "or" side effect s

Erik Max Francis max at alcyone.com
Fri Feb 14 19:32:32 EST 2003


Daniel Silva wrote:

> what's wrong with it looking like a function if the docs specify it as
> a
> special form?  cond( test1: expr1, test2: expr2, test3: expr3, true:
> e4 )
> could work too, which could be built from if( test, then, else ).
> You could even do the cond in Python once you have a syntax and
> expander system, just hide the system from the user so they don't
> change
> the language...

Because it is unprecedented in the language, and only serves to
complicate issues more.  It opens the door to more, general special
forms, which now makes you look at everything with function calls and
wonder if they're going to get lazily evaluated behind your back.

It's mentioned in the PEP as an alternative, at any rate, so its
candidacy has already been addressed.

-- 
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