Please explain this strange Python behaviour

[John Posner]

Stephen Hansen wrote:
> I have a feeling this might start one of those uber-massive "pass by 
> value / reference / name / object / AIEE" threads where everyone goes 
> around in massive circles explaining how Python uses one or another 
> parameter passing paradigm and why everyone else is wrong... but... :)
Believe me, I don't want that to happen!
> The thing is, parameter values are NOT supplied to a function when it 
> is called.
>
> When you call a function, there's no creation or copying of any values 
> of any kind. The objects you pass in are passed in and the function 
> receives those exact same objects. Within the function a local name is 
> made which binds to an existing object that is specified when it is 
> called-- or if a default is provided, that. In all cases these objects 
> already exist before the call happens.
This is the kind of explanation I was looking for in the "why are 
default values shared" writeup.
>
> Despite the fact that using mutable objects as default arguments is a 
> frequent source of quirked-eyebrows and head-scratching for those new 
> to Python, to do anything else would be weirdly magical. You'd 
> basically have to go and call copy() on any default arguments 
> specified in the function; at which point why are you copying those 
> and not the other arguments?
The interpreter *could* take the extra trouble to do that with default 
arguments, because many users seems to expect that behavior. But I now 
understand how the decision *not* to treat default arguments as special 
cases produces the actual behavior. Many thanks, Stephen.

-John