"static" variables in functions (was: Version Number Comparison Function)

[El Pitonero]

Christos TZOTZIOY Georgiou wrote:
>
> One of the previous related threads is this (long URL):
>
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/messages/f7dea61a92f5e792,5ce65b041ee6e45a,dbf695317a6faa26,19284769722775d2,7599103bb19c7332,abc53bd83cf8f636,4e87b44745a69832,330c5eb638963459,e4c8d45fe5147867,5a184dac6131a61e?thread_id=84da7d3109e1ee14&mode=thread&noheader=1#doc_7599103bb19c7332

Another previous message on this issue:

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.lang.lisp/msg/1615d8b83cca5b20

Python's syntax surely is not clean enough for concise metaprogramming.
At any rate, I'd agree with Fernando's assessment:

Fernando wrote:
> The real problem with Python is ... Python is
> going the C++ way: piling feature upon feature, adding bells
> and whistles while ignoring or damaging its core design.

If the core design were better, many "new features" in Python could
have been rendered unnecessary.