How to make an empty generator?

[Steve Holden]

John Posner wrote:
> On 2/19/2010 2:25 PM, Terry Reedy wrote:
>> On 2/19/2010 12:44 PM, Stephen Hansen wrote:
>>
>>> Much to my embarrassment, sometime last night I realized I was being a
>>> complete idiot, and the 'correct' way to handle this in my scenario is
>>> really just:
>>>
>>> def initialize():
>>> # do one time processing here
>>>
>>> return []
>>>
>>> A generator is just a callable that returns an iterator, after all.
>>
>> Confusing generators and generator functions is, well, confusing.
>> For future reference, and clarity of communication in Pythonland,
>>
>> generator function: function that produces a generator when called; if
>> python coded, its body contains 'yield'.
>>
>> generator: iterator produced by a generator function;
> 
> I suggest:
> 
>  iterator produced by a generator function or a generator expression;
> 
> has .__next__ and
>> self-returning .__init__, like all other iterators.
>>
>> generator expression: an expression that evaluates to a generator; the
>> expression is used to create a temporary anonymous generator function
>> that is called to produce the generator and is then discarded.
> 
> Note that the Py2.6.4 documentation is inconsistent. AFAICT, it conforms
> to Terry's definitions above in most places. But the Glossary says:
> 
>  generator
>     A function which returns an iterator. <... more ...>
> 
>  generator expression
>     An expression that returns a generator.  <... more ...>
> 
> The additional verbiage in these definitions mitigates the damage, but I
> think the first entry should be headlined *generator function* instead
> of *generator*. And the Glossary should include Terry's additional entry
> [ as amended by me :-) ]:
> 
>  generator
>     An iterator produced by a generator function or a generator
>     expression.
> 
> -John
> 
+1. Can someone submit a documentation patch, please?

regards
 Steve
-- 
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