Link to module Stack

Dave Angel davea at ieee.org
Sat Jan 9 05:56:36 EST 2010


Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> On Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:07:39 -0800, kzagradskiy wrote:
>
>   
>> class Stack:
>>     def __init__(self):
>>         self.__heap = []
>>     
>
> A "heap" has a technical meaning in programming. To describe the 
> internals of a stack as "heap" will be disconcerting and confusing to 
> anyone who knows about stacks and heaps.
>
>
>   
>>     def push (self, word):
>>         self.__heap.append (word)
>>     def pop (self):
>>         if len(self.__heap) == 0:
>>             raise InnerInterpreterError, "stack underflow"
>>     
>
> "InnerInterpreterError" is the most inappropriate exception name I've 
> ever seen. It has nothing to do with the interpreter, it's a stack error.
>
>   
It has everything to do with the (Forth) interpreter.  Exceptions can 
readily be named according to their application -- it's not always about 
Python.  Anyway, Forth has an inner-interpreter and an 
outer-interpreter, and the name will make sense to a Forth programmer.
>>         result = self.__heap[-1]
>>         del self.__heap[-1]
>>     
>
> That is better written as result = self.__heap.pop().
>
>
>   
or even better, without the extra local var:

    def pop (self):
        if len(self.__heap) == 0:
            raise InnerInterpreterError, "stack underflow"
        return self.__heap.pop(1)

P.S. - I'm puzzled why the OP even put this message here.  There's no 
question posted with it.

DaveA




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