[Tutor] assignment statements in python

[Kermit Rose]

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 06:58:39 -0400
From: Kent Johnson <kent37 at tds.net>
Subject: Re: [Tutor] buggy bug in my program
Cc: tutor at python.org
 
Assignment in Python is not a copy, it is a name binding. Assignment
creates a name for an object. If you assign the same object to two
names, they both are bound to the same thing. If the object is mutable,
like a list, changes to the object will be seen regardless of which name
you use to refer to it.
 
******
 
I feel a little bit better now that I know that there is a reason for what
my
program did.
 
However, I still don't have any idea how to copy values from one cell in 
an array to the adjacent cell in the same array.
 
I looked  at the reference ,
 
http://www.effbot.org/zone/python-objects.htm
 
that you gave,
 
but did not gleam any hint from it how to copy values from one place in an
array to another place within the same array.
 
It must be possible, for otherwise, you could not sort an array.
 
 
It is quite remarkable that my not knowing that 
 
assignment is not a copy 
 
gave me no difficulties before now.
 
 
 
Kermit  <  kermit at polaris.net  >