"for" with "else"?

[Mark Jackson]

Invalid User <user at invalid.domain> writes:

> Is this to be expected?
> (python 2.2.2)
> 
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
>  >>> for x in range(5):
> ....   print x*x
> .... else:
> ....   print "done"
> ....
> 0
> 1
> 4
> 9
> 16
> done
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=

Yes.  The else clause is invoked iff the for loop terminates normally.
Contrast with:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>> for x in range(5):
...     print x*x
...     if x==4:
...             break
... else:
...     print "did all"
... 
0
1
4
9
16
>>> 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(This happens to be the *reverse* of what my intuition expects - it
would seem more natural if the syntax meant "do this for loop to
completion, else do this extra stuff," but this is the way it is and
one must simply remember it.)

-- 
Mark Jackson - http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~mjackson
	There are no foolish questions and no man becomes a fool
	until he has stopped asking questions.
				- Charles P. Steinmetz