Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!aioe.org!news.stack.nl!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 0.002 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'interpreter': 0.05; 'subject:Python': 0.06; "subject:' ": 0.07; 'from:addr:ethan': 0.09; 'from:addr:stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'from:name:ethan furman': 0.09; 'message-id:@stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'received:184.172': 0.09; 'received:gator410.hostgator.com': 0.09; 'subject:Does': 0.09; '~ethan~': 0.09; 'subject:programming': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'do.': 0.18; 'meant': 0.20; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'header :In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'am,': 0.29; 'program,': 0.31; 'code': 0.31; 'agree': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'charset:us- ascii': 0.36; 'subject:?': 0.36; 'two': 0.37; 'to:addr:python- list': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'even': 0.60; 'received:173': 0.61; 'skip:* 10': 0.61; 'you.': 0.62; 'received:69.56': 0.68; 'received:69.56.148': 0.84 Date: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 11:31:56 -0700 From: Ethan Furman User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:16.0) Gecko/20121010 Thunderbird/16.0.1 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: python-list@python.org Subject: Re: Does Python 'enable' poke and hope programming? References: <6b1769f8-222b-4953-99c8-a1d73cec3d60@googlegroups.com> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - gator410.hostgator.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - python.org X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - stoneleaf.us X-BWhitelist: no X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: X-Source-Sender: ([173.12.184.233]) [173.12.184.233]:49230 X-Source-Auth: ethan+stoneleaf.us X-Email-Count: 2 X-Source-Cap: dG9idWs7dG9idWs7Z2F0b3I0MTAuaG9zdGdhdG9yLmNvbQ== 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: 16 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1375556201 news.xs4all.nl 15909 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:54620 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:51879 On 08/03/2013 10:30 AM, CM wrote: > > But what I meant is that if one is writing a program, there is a way > to **know**--without experimentation--what a particular set of code > is going to do. Even when you /know/, experimenting is still good for two other purposes: - check that what you know is so - check that the interpreter behaves consistently with the docs But yes, I otherwise agree with you. -- ~Ethan~