Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!aioe.org!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 0.001 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; 'computing': 0.11; 'am,': 0.14; 'wrote:': 0.14; '"lambda"': 0.16; 'abstraction,': 0.16; 'alain': 0.16; 'lambda': 0.16; 'mistake.': 0.16; 'nowhere.': 0.16; 'reedy': 0.16; 'argument': 0.16; 'keyword': 0.19; 'programming': 0.19; 'jan': 0.20; 'header:In- Reply-To:1': 0.21; 'function': 0.25; 'language.': 0.28; 'expressions': 0.29; "python's": 0.29; 'least': 0.30; 'do.': 0.30; 'construct': 0.30; 'semantics': 0.30; 'functional': 0.31; 'agree': 0.32; 'clearly': 0.32; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.32; 'to:addr :python-list': 0.33; 'generally': 0.33; 'core': 0.35; 'header :User-Agent:1': 0.35; 'languages.': 0.35; 'accepted': 0.36; 'something': 0.37; 'hack': 0.37; 'received:org': 0.38; 'but': 0.38; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'should': 0.39; 'abuse': 0.39; 'header :Mime-Version:1': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; '7:00': 0.84; 'abuse,': 0.84; 'terminology': 0.84; 'oldest': 0.91 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Terry Reedy Subject: Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Date: Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:43:14 -0400 References: <2_AFp.30000$241.24052@newsfe07.iad> <4de71c42$0$29983$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <87zkm0qyze.fsf@dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 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: <87zkm0qyze.fsf@dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr> 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: 17 NNTP-Posting-Host: 82.94.164.166 X-Trace: 1307043809 news.xs4all.nl 49038 [::ffff:82.94.164.166]:60662 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:6882 On 6/2/2011 7:00 AM, Alain Ketterlin wrote: > Nowhere. But going against generally accepted semantics should at least > be clearly indicated. Lambda is one of the oldest computing abstraction, > and they are at the core of any functional programming language. Adding > a quick hack to python and call it "lambda" is just abuse of terminology Whether or not it is abuse, I agree it was a big mistake. The keyword should have been something like 'func': an abbreviated term for a construct with abbreviated capabilities. End of argument over whether Python's function expressions matche the semantics of lambda in other languages. They are definitely highly limited in the scope of what they can do. -- Terry Jan Reedy