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Groups > comp.lang.python > #58934
| Newsgroups | comp.lang.python |
|---|---|
| Date | 2013-11-09 05:22 -0800 |
| References | <-JadnUirYuhUruPPnZ2dnUVZ8rSdnZ2d@bt.com> |
| Message-ID | <f3099b6d-d2af-42e2-89f4-e3c9e57673a3@googlegroups.com> (permalink) |
| Subject | Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python |
| From | Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> |
On Saturday, November 9, 2013 8:08:25 AM UTC-5, John von Horn wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I'm Mr. Noobie here, I've just started easing into Python (2.7.4) and am
> enjoying working along to some youtube tutorials. I've done a little
> programming in the past.
>
> I've just got a few thoughts I'd like to share and ask about:
>
> * Why not allow floater=float(int1/int2) - rather than floater=float
> (int1)/float(int2)?
>
> Give me a float (or an error message) from evaluating everything in the
> brackets. Don't make me explicitly convert everything myself (unless I
> want to)
>
The language has to specify what int1/int2 should evaluate to. Python 2 says it is an int. Once that computation is done, passing that int to float() can't bring back the lost information. Python 3 says that int1/int2 produces a float, and you can get that behavior if you use "from __future__ import division" at the top of your Python 2.7 file.
> * No sign of a select .. case statement
>
> Another useful tool in the programmer's toolbox
>
> Select DayofWeek
>
> case "mon"
>
> ...
>
> end select
>
This is a bit more controversial. Python has no select statement because it has very little advantage over simply using an if/elif/elif/else ladder. In languages like C, a switch compiles to a table lookup. In Python, all the actual comparisons would have to be done anyway, so it would simply be an alternate syntax for a number of if statements. In the interest of not cluttering the language, the switch statement doesn't exist.
> * Call me pedantic by why do we need a trailing comma for a list of one
> item? Keep it intuitive and allow lstShopping=[] or ["Bread"] or
> ["Bread", "Milk","Hot Chocolate"] I don't like ["Bread",]. It bugs me.
>
You're mistaken: One-element lists are written without a trailing comma, though you are allowed to include them. One-element tuples, though, require the trailing comma, since ("hello") is just the same as "hello".
Welcome to Python!
> JvH
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New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python John von Horn <j.h69@btinternet.com> - 2013-11-09 07:08 -0600
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2013-11-09 05:22 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Joshua Landau <joshua@landau.ws> - 2013-11-09 13:27 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Jonathan <jtcegh@gmail.com> - 2013-11-09 14:44 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 10:29 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2013-11-10 00:50 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 11:54 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Neil Cerutti <neilc@norwich.edu> - 2013-11-11 15:30 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Thomas Rachel <nutznetz-0c1b6768-bfa9-48d5-a470-7603bd3aa915@spamschutz.glglgl.de> - 2013-11-10 13:24 +0100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-09 13:41 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2013-11-09 16:24 +0200
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 01:27 +1100
Sandboxing Python [was Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python] Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-09 15:25 +0000
Re: Sandboxing Python [was Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 02:32 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2013-11-10 08:47 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 20:22 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 04:39 -0700
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 22:43 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2013-11-10 12:12 -0500
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-11 10:29 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2013-11-10 19:13 -0500
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2013-11-09 07:38 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-11-09 10:56 -0500
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2013-11-09 08:30 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 21:36 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-11-11 09:01 -0500
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2013-11-11 07:14 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2013-11-11 21:05 -0500
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2013-11-12 14:38 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python John von Horn <j.h69@btinternet.com> - 2013-11-09 14:19 -0600
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2013-11-09 14:39 -0600
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-11-09 12:33 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2013-11-09 12:54 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-11-09 13:21 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-09 21:01 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2013-11-09 15:20 -0600
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python lorenzo.gatti@gmail.com - 2013-11-11 02:09 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-11 21:39 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-11 11:17 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-11 22:32 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-11-11 14:29 -0800
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2013-11-11 11:53 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-11 23:07 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Joshua Landau <joshua@landau.ws> - 2013-11-11 20:50 +0000
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-12 09:21 +1100
Re: New user's initial thoughts / criticisms of Python Joshua Landau <joshua@landau.ws> - 2013-11-12 01:53 +0000
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