Global variables for python applications

[John Nagle]

James Mills wrote:
> The only place global variables are considered somewhat "acceptable"
> are as constants in a module shared as a static value.

    Python really ought to have named constants.

    For one thing, it's fine to share constants across threads, while
sharing globals is generally undesirable.  Also, more compile-time
arithmetic becomes possible.

    Python does have a few built-in named unassignable constants:
"True", "None", "__debug__", etc.  "Ellipsis" is supposed to be a
constant, too, but in fact you can assign to it, at least through Python 3.1.

    I think there's some religious objection to constants in Python, but
it predated threading.

					John Nagle