Python becoming less Lisp-like
Jeff Shannon
jeffshannon at gmail.com
Mon Mar 21 12:12:41 EST 2005
Antoon Pardon wrote:
> Op 2005-03-18, Jeff Shannon schreef <jeffshannon at gmail.com>:
>
> I find it odd that you start by saying you still find them very
> consistent and here state there is a slight inconsistency.
I said that the way that binding a name on a class instance always
creates an instance attribute regardless of the presence of a
similarly-named class attribute is consistent with the way that name
binding works in any scope. This is true. Binding of a name within a
function-local scope works the same way -- bindings are always created
within the narrowest scope unless something is explicitly done to
force other behavior.
You pointed out a case in which class/instance attributes behave
slightly differently than local/global names do, and I agree with you
that there is a difference in behavior there. However, that
difference is in the way that bare names are resolved into
local/global references, and *not* in the way that name binding works.
The name binding rules are consistent; the inconsistency is in name
*lookups*, and is a case of strong optimization of the standard case
affecting the behavior of an unusual (and strongly discouraged) case.
There is a slight inconsistency in something *other* than what the
O.P. was complaining about being inconsistent; I'm recognizing that
inconsistency at the same time as I'm attempting to point out that the
other "inconsistency" really *is* consistent. (I'm also pointing out
that this name-lookup inconsistency is a good example of "practicality
beats purity", because the value of the optimization is, IMO, much
greater than the cost of the inconsistency.)
Jeff Shannon
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