Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed3.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.004 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'syntax': 0.04; 'argument': 0.05; 'mathematics': 0.05; 'plenty': 0.07; 'string': 0.09; 'subject:number': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.11; 'python': 0.11; 'translation': 0.12; '7:35': 0.16; 'benefit.': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'notation,': 0.16; 'notations': 0.16; 'plop': 0.16; 'reasonably': 0.16; 'url:catb': 0.16; 'language': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'bit': 0.19; "python's": 0.19; 'aug': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; 'config': 0.24; 'integer': 0.24; 'mon,': 0.24; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'subject:list': 0.30; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; '(which': 0.31; 'everyone': 0.33; 'subject:the': 0.34; 'etc.)': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'data,': 0.36; 'url:org': 0.36; 'pm,': 0.38; 'even': 0.60; 'new': 0.61; 'skip:n 10': 0.64; 'more': 0.64; 'brand': 0.72; 'url:e': 0.78; 'gain': 0.79; 'subject:get': 0.81; 'etc,': 0.84; 'instantly': 0.84; 'scratch,': 0.84; 'favour': 0.91; 'to:none': 0.92 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:cc :content-type; bh=XB48yKJJPnPccdznwv1fkrvudE/Xj/8UeKG4RoY1jf4=; b=FL4jb5xj8S2E8r0jmvImtCYZsBUfed7ievR0ZIxl33gSyclH4/IZB3FGomiRWxVF/T kGeBSy+FikM3A+uA3lG78W+iygQ7QNiALme2qfbIjBe8JCVthXbbdLIPtC0lQXt1T3uT 8z5cHW/3t+O4dTq5LX30BYLvx1uJJ8HLCyHXgZxTaONK3molh0fouYobh2eeQ08tUMSb vZ/Kw/86m5BBLLFHi0n9+yFtuecr7Djv4YYAO+5u3TkrVrOPsojttdbpt7QXmN4iAytf pldFv9aLyusQlB5bKXslpYawGbh38ZGmBF/5LYqsf6MC1+9lsQUevdxZKh9h8P+mX/Go GxPg== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.43.96.65 with SMTP id cf1mr31322708icc.26.1407750695407; Mon, 11 Aug 2014 02:51:35 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <87ha1jweq7.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> References: <53E658CD.5020904@gmail.com> <53e59035$0$29998$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <338e8fb0-c9ec-462a-b560-1c1ff77de17e@googlegroups.com> <154cc342-7f85-4d16-b636-a1a953913c98@googlegroups.com> <8c41d779-0c26-430a-a915-08c2b962e0e7@googlegroups.com> <87ha1jweq7.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 19:51:35 +1000 Subject: Re: how to get the ordinal number in list From: Chris Angelico Cc: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 19 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1407750698 news.xs4all.nl 2900 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:54589 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:76039 On Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 7:35 PM, Marko Rauhamaa wrote: > Python is a formal language with a well-defined syntax and reasonably > well-understood semantics. That's all that matters. Any resemblance to > the much more ad-hoc syntax of classical mathematics is almost > coincidental. Well, it's a bit more than coincidence. It's the ELIZA effect: http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/E/ELIZA-effect.html Using notations that some people will be familiar with is better than constructing brand new notations from scratch, even if not everyone can gain that benefit. (Which is an argument in favour of Python's percent-formatting of strings; there are plenty of people out there who'll instantly understand that %d will plop in an integer and %s a string - even some non-programmers know that notation, as it's found in config files, translation data, etc, etc.) ChrisA