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From: Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Subject: Re: What other languages use the same data model as Python?
Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 14:24:37 +0000 (UTC)
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On 2011-05-05, Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> wrote:
> Hans Georg Schaathun wrote:
>> Is transmission by name the same as call by object?
>
> No, it's not. With call-by-name, the caller passes a
> small function (known as a "thunk") that calculates the
> address of the parameter. Every time the callee needs to
> refer to the parameter, it evaluates this function.
>
> This allows some neat tricks, but it's massive overkill for most
> uses.

It also is a very good source of surprising bugs.

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! I feel like I'm
                                  at               in a Toilet Bowl with a
                              gmail.com            thumbtack in my forehead!!