Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!gegeweb.org!de-l.enfer-du-nord.net!feeder2.enfer-du-nord.net!feeder.news-service.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!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; 'terry': 0.07; 'python': 0.08; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229.12': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'received:lo.gmane.org': 0.09; 'pm,': 0.10; 'wrote:': 0.14; 'bad;': 0.16; 'comma': 0.16; 'destination.': 0.16; 'hazard': 0.16; 'ignores': 0.16; 'redundancy': 0.16; 'reedy': 0.16; 'stripped': 0.16; 'warn': 0.16; 'language': 0.18; 'guess': 0.19; 'jan': 0.20; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.21; "i'm": 0.27; 'correct': 0.28; 'raise': 0.28; 'tend': 0.32; 'header:X -Complaints-To:1': 0.32; 'does': 0.33; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.33; 'rather': 0.34; "i'll": 0.34; 'however,': 0.34; 'header :User-Agent:1': 0.35; 'function.': 0.35; 'typical': 0.35; 'received:org': 0.38; 'anything': 0.38; 'but': 0.38; 'ok,': 0.38; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'some': 0.38; 'header:Mime-Version:1': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'missing': 0.40; 'designed': 0.65; 'guides': 0.67; 'natural': 0.68; 'guarantee': 0.72; 'destination,': 0.84; 'comparable': 0.91 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Terry Reedy Subject: Re: Beginner needs advice Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 21:47:30 -0400 References: <4DDC7938.5000900@gmail.com> <4ddfc8ae$0$29996$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <0XbEp.24071$oq.16802@newsfe17.iad> <4de253a9$0$29996$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <6GWEp.38791$Vp.28176@newsfe14.iad> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: rain.gmane.org User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.17) Gecko/20110414 Lightning/1.0b2 Thunderbird/3.1.10 In-Reply-To: <6GWEp.38791$Vp.28176@newsfe14.iad> X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 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: 31 NNTP-Posting-Host: 82.94.164.166 X-Trace: 1306806466 news.xs4all.nl 49179 [::ffff:82.94.164.166]:54147 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:6692 On 5/30/2011 8:32 PM, harrismh777 wrote: > > However, I guarantee that if I'm dumped unaided in Piccadilly I'll be > able to hail a cab, pay my =C2=A312.00 and get myself to Liverpool Stre= et > Station, find the bathroom, and be on the correct train just in time fo= r > dinner, all without looking into the English dictionary. Because natural language is redundant and most speakers are forgiving,=20 while computer language are stripped on much redundancy and their=20 interpreters tend to be unforgiving, so a single missing comma or space=20 can raise a SyntaxError. Python is designed to do so, and allow/require=20 correction, rather than guess and go on. This is not so bad; what if the cabbie does not understand you but say=20 OK, guesses the destination, ignores any protestations, and asks for =C2=A3= 30=20 at the wrong destination. Following people who deafly say OK and take=20 you whereever is a real hazard in some countries. Some tourist guides=20 even warn about the practice. Anyway, 'L i v e r p o o l S t r e e t S t a t i o n' is such a=20 trivial utterance as to not be comparable to anything as complicated as=20 a typical 5-line function. --=20 Terry Jan Reedy