[Tutor] understanding classes

[alan.gauld@bt.com]

> My next question was going to be, why is the Python 
> convention to name that variable "self" rather than "this"?  

Guido's choice I guess.

self is used in Smalltalk and Delphi.
this is used in C++ and Java.

Another language (which I can't recall!) uses 'my' in 
the same way.

> Was Java not so well known when this was done?  

It wasn't even invented! Python was started in 
1989 whereas Java wasn't unveiled till 1994(?) 
However C++ was around at the time and using 'this'. 
OTOH Smalltalk has used 'self' since 1973....

Alan g.
Author of the 'Learning to Program' web site
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld