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From: Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Subject: Re: Late-binding of function defaults (was Re: What is a function parameter =[] for?)
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2015 20:01:43 -0700
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On Wed, Nov 25, 2015 at 5:52 PM, Random832 <random832@fastmail.com> wrote:
> On 2015-11-25, Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> wrote:
>> That is, the =E2=80=982=E2=80=99 in =E2=80=98cartesian_point =3D (2, 3)=
=E2=80=99 means something different
>> than in =E2=80=98cartesian_point =3D (3, 2)=E2=80=99.
>>
>> Whereas the =E2=80=982=E2=80=99 in =E2=80=98test_scores =3D [2, 3]=E2=80=
=99 means exactly the same as in
>> =E2=80=98test_scores =3D [3, 2]=E2=80=99.
>>
>> If each position in the sequence gives the value there a different
>> menaning, use a tuple; if not, use a list.
>
> I don't think that's really right. The absence of first-class
> multisets in python does mean that lists get "abused" for that
> purpose, but I don't think that means that there's no legitimate
> use-case for a list (i.e. a mutable sequence in which position is
> significant).
>
> The difference between a tuple and a list is that one is mutable
> and the other is not. The difference you are describing is
> between a list and a multiset (or a tuple and an immutable
> multiset).

I think that Ben was actually trying to make a distinction between
heterogeneity and homogeneity of the contents, not a distinction of
whether the collection was ordered or not. You can of course have a
homogeneous collection for which order is still important, e.g. a
batting line-up.