syntax for preset locals without using dummy args with defaults

[Terry Reedy]

"Bengt Richter" <bokr at oz.net> wrote in message
news:avmoeu$v8p$0 at 216.39.172.122...
> Yet another idea ;-)
>
> Right now we often see
>
>     def foo(x, y=default, z=some_expression):
>         ...
>
> where the purpose is not to have three parameters, but two
> plus a local binding (z) in foo to the value of some_expression
> evaluated in the def-time environment. z may bind something not
> accessible later at call time, or it may be just to avoid
recalculating
> an expensive expression at each function call.
>
> The subject line idea amounts to using the same parameter list
mechanisms,
> but not incrementing argcount

+1/2 on idea

(ok, a little more complex, but that's the
> essence) Thus:
>     def foo(x, y=default)(z=some_expression):

-1/2 on this syntax.  I would prefer ';' instead of ',' to mark end of
run-time variable params and start of define-tine fixed params.  Have
no idea how difficult it would be to have compiler differentiate
between this and ';' as statement separator.

>For longer lists of initializations, it is helpful that parens allow
putting things on multiple lines

One set of parens already does this.

Terry J. Reedy