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From: Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu>
Subject: Re: Verbose and flexible args and kwargs syntax
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:26:39 -0500
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Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:16991

On 12/11/2011 5:49 AM, Eelco Hoogendoorn wrote:

> Plus, asterikses are impossible to google for, so finding out what exactly
 > they do more or less forces you to write a forum post about it.

There are other means of finding information than Google. Really.
1. A couple of years ago, I wrote a very complete list of symbol syntax 
uses in Python 3. You can get is at
https://xploro.googlecode.com/files/PySymbols.html
Unfortunately, searching for 'python syntax symbols' does not show this 
on the first few pages.
2. The python docs have an index. While the Symbols page does not have 
most of the entries in the above doc, it does have '* in function calls' 
and '** in function calls'.
3. The meaning of * and ** in function calls is explained, surprise, in 
the reference manual section (5.3.4 for Py3) on function calls, which is 
in the chapter on expressions.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy