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Re: Promoting Python

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From Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Re: Promoting Python
Date Wed, 06 Apr 2016 17:14:13 +0300
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Michael Selik <michael.selik@gmail.com>:

> On Wed, Apr 6, 2016, 12:51 PM Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> wrote:
>
>> Really, there's only one high-level construct you can't live without:
>> the "while" statement. Virtually every Python program has at least
>> one "while" statement, and in general, it is unavoidable.
>>
>> Basic programs, on the other hand, don't need that meaningless
>> buzzword, but can live just fine with GOTO.
>
> You don't need WHILE or GOTO, you can just copy-paste code. You
> probably need an IF at some point.

Seriously, Python wouldn't be, couldn't be Turing-complete without
"while" (mainly because it doesn't support tail-recursion elimination).

Now, if Python had an unlimited range() iterator/iterable, you could use
a "for" statement to emulate "while".

As it stands, Python without "while" could only compute
primitive-recursive functions. However, you only need "while" a maximum
of one time in your whole program to perform an arbitrary computation.


Marko

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Thread

Promoting Python "Gordon( Hotmail )" <sionet3344@hotmail.co.uk> - 2016-04-05 06:48 +0100
  Re: Promoting Python Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2016-04-05 00:31 -0700
    Re: Promoting Python Joel Goldstick <joel.goldstick@gmail.com> - 2016-04-05 08:06 -0400
      Re: Promoting Python alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2016-04-05 18:02 +0000
        Re: Promoting Python BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-04-05 19:47 +0100
          Re: Promoting Python alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2016-04-05 19:38 +0000
    Re: Promoting Python Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-04-05 08:13 -0400
      Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-05 15:31 +0300
  Re: Promoting Python Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2016-04-06 20:52 +1200
    Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 12:12 +0300
  Re: Promoting Python BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-04-06 12:06 +0100
    Re: Promoting Python Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2016-04-06 04:38 -0700
      Re: Promoting Python BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-04-06 14:21 +0100
    Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 14:46 +0300
      Re: Promoting Python Michael Selik <michael.selik@gmail.com> - 2016-04-06 13:33 +0000
        Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 17:14 +0300
          Re: Promoting Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-04-07 00:20 +1000
            Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 21:23 +0300
              Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 21:50 +0300
              Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 22:30 +0300
          Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 22:22 +0300
            Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 22:59 +0300
              Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 23:39 +0300
                Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-07 01:03 +0300
                Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-07 09:30 +0300
                Re: Promoting Python Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-04-07 00:56 -0600
                Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-07 10:19 +0300
                Re: Promoting Python Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-04-08 16:09 +1000
          Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 23:05 +0300
      Re: Promoting Python BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-04-06 14:54 +0100
        Re: Promoting Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-04-06 17:08 +0300
          Re: Promoting Python Larry Martell <larry.martell@gmail.com> - 2016-04-06 10:36 -0400
        Re: Promoting Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-04-07 00:14 +1000
        Re: Promoting Python Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-04-06 15:20 +0100
          Re: Promoting Python Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2016-04-06 07:34 -0700
            Re: Promoting Python Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2016-04-06 10:55 -0700
              Re: Promoting Python BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-04-06 23:24 +0100
          Re: Promoting Python BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-04-06 18:04 +0100
    Re: Promoting Python Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-04-06 08:04 -0400
    Re: Promoting Python Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-04-06 13:39 +0100
    Re: Promoting Python Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-04-07 03:40 +1000

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