[Tutor] Thoughts on little lambda

[Jeff Shannon]

Recently, Kirby Urner described a bit about the differences between Python's lambda and Lisp-ish
lambdas.  To create something that works a bit more like the Lisp-ish lambda, Kirby proposed using a
function factory like this:


>     def funcfact(r,j):
>         def main(x):
>            if not x%2:
>               return pow(x,j)+4
>            else:
>               return pow(x,r)+3
>         return lambda x: main(x)

Now, I might be missing something (wouldn't be the first time ;) ) but it seems to me that the return
statement doesn't need to create a lambda;  it should be equivalent to change it to simply

            return main

shouldn't it?  ISTM that the lambda here creates a function object that calls a function, using
exactly the arguments passed to it;  I see no benefit to encapsulating that second function object
(the main in the above example) inside of another function object (and some cost in terms of
overhead).

Jeff Shannon
Technician/Programmer
Credit International