Optional parameter object re-used when instantiating multiple objects

[Steve Holden]

Dennis Lee Bieber wrote:
> On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:40:04 -0800 (PST), Rick Giuly
> <rgiuly.group at yahoo.com> declaimed the following in comp.lang.python:
> 
>> Why is python designed so that b and c (according to code below)
>> actually share the same list object? It seems more natural to me that
>> each object would be created with a new list object in the points
>> variable.
>>
> 	This is a FAQ... default arguments are evaluation only ONCE, during
> the "compilation" of the function.
>  
>> class Blob:
>>     def __init__(self, points=[]):
>>         self._points = points
>>
> 	The preferred/recommended form is to use (very explicit, one test,
> one "assignment")
> 
> 	def __init__(self, points=None):
> 		if points:
> 			self._points = points
> 		else:
> 			self._points = []
> 
> or (shorter; one test, potentially two "assignments")
> 
> 	def __init__(self, points=None):
> 		if not points: points = []
> 		self._points = points
> 
I hesitate to beat the thoroughly obvious to death with a stick, but
this is a *very* bad way to make the test. If you are using None as a
sentinel to indicate that no argument was provided to the call then the
correct test is

  if points is None:
     points = []

The code shown fails to distinguish between passing an empty list and
not passing an argument at all.

regards
 Steve

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