Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!1.eu.feeder.erje.net!feeder2.ecngs.de!ecngs!feeder.ecngs.de!border1.nntp.ams1.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!usenetcore.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed3a.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <rosuav@gmail.com>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.023
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.95; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'float': 0.05; 'assumed': 0.09; 'expectation': 0.09; 'naturally': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.10; 'thread': 0.10; 'python': 0.11; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'scratch': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.16; "wouldn't": 0.16; 'exists': 0.18; 'cc:2**0': 0.21; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.21; 'fraction': 0.22; '2015': 0.23; 'third-party': 0.23; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.24; 'written': 0.24; 'mon,': 0.24; 'chris': 0.26; '(e.g.': 0.27; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.28; 'decimal': 0.29; 'obscure': 0.29; "they'll": 0.29; 'fri,': 0.31; 'realize': 0.32; "who's": 0.32; 'problem': 0.33; 'int': 0.33; 'quickly': 0.34; 'subject:?': 0.34; 'received:google.com': 0.34; 'google': 0.34; 'that,': 0.34; 'could': 0.35; "isn't": 0.35; 'but': 0.36; 'subject:" ': 0.36; 'should': 0.37; 'subject:: ': 0.37; "won't": 0.38; 'someone': 0.38; 'space': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.39; 'enough': 0.39; 'easily': 0.39; 'data': 0.40; 'even': 0.61; "you'll": 0.61; 'simple': 0.61; 'relatively': 0.63; 'talking': 0.67; 'money': 0.72; 'discover': 0.73; 'chrisa': 0.84; 'complex,': 0.84; 'float,': 0.84; 'using.': 0.84; 'to:none': 0.90; '1:18': 0.91
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=PZ8aos4N7dMMEjBT37WmH++vop8AltSVZ/Ik8ZVfUAw=; b=q8wyLBueoXvRlHWkPC6e7ZboS2MfXVdpEjb9gadnPgyZUDGGbvlnr3hiM8JT9P3zJP GH807v0FsYCjiN2+fSYlnoytcAyLg4dTuXplHsjn49a7aHG9mzpEn0ZBl9qm3lRdRtuJ vDXScEaNCCi1aPSZCND4VVJ0XWdKI+JmbGuB57d5GUB6bTvkuTlGgjaJoRjYIjq4qMlZ vLKm1DWCJxJMmfovQ7zHL1+83OWOhm3uMg17tntes/otRJSNmzBjHfEiIkFX2ug1U2Jj LhLjrPdDnMP+gjaRjepeGNHLyzkG6JXrkH/AMY3ZT1n/2DymPei8xGfdUUsJBUPFgyNx 5Wsg==
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Received: by 10.42.154.65 with SMTP id p1mr12834208icw.26.1433130211995; Sun, 31 May 2015 20:43:31 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <1433128706.32838.283108057.2C4C8613@webmail.messagingengine.com>
References: <c03de3a7-3429-44a3-8241-5a7d81b9aefc@googlegroups.com> <mailman.192.1432915802.5151.python-list@python.org> <28cec7df-0f51-4098-b027-72e913a9b656@googlegroups.com> <CAPTjJmqZrkSs16SR_ADKZ_cz5tqYBxrVC93sDO3TQ8T+oDEoDA@mail.gmail.com> <1433128706.32838.283108057.2C4C8613@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2015 13:43:31 +1000
Subject: Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?
From: Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
Cc: "python-list@python.org" <python-list@python.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20+
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.261.1433133429.5151.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 23
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1433133429 news.xs4all.nl 2929 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48790
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:91617

On Mon, Jun 1, 2015 at 1:18 PM,  <random832@fastmail.us> wrote:
> On Fri, May 29, 2015, at 13:08, Chris Angelico wrote:
>> Also, I like talking about Fraction and
>> Decimal for the simple reason that they're unobvious; you can poke
>> around with Python and discover int and float, and if ever you need
>> imaginary/complex numbers, you'll quickly come across complex, but you
>> might use Python for years and not realize that decimal.Decimal even
>> exists - nor when you'd want it.
>
> Well, isn't that just a byproduct of what problem space you work in? If
> someone _does_ know they need a rational or decimal type (e.g. someone
> working with money who's clueful enough to know floats won't do),
> they'll find these types relatively quickly from a google search -
> there's no glut of third-party implementations, and neither is so
> obscure nor easily written from scratch that people wouldn't search for
> an existing implementation.

Yes, but how many people actually know they need a rational type? Just
now there's a thread on python-ideas that was based around the
expectation that a float could do that, which it can't; the OP just
naturally assumed that float was the data type he should be using.

ChrisA