Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.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 0.001 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'pointer': 0.05; 'subject:based': 0.07; 'namespace': 0.09; 'notation.': 0.09; 'am,': 0.12; 'c++': 0.12; "hasn't": 0.13; 'mathematics': 0.13; 'received:209.85.210.174': 0.13; 'received:mail- iy0-f174.google.com': 0.13; '(eg': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'notation,': 0.16; 'notations': 0.16; 'stored.': 0.16; 'subject: \n ': 0.16; 'subject:syntax': 0.16; "there'll": 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'ryan': 0.18; 'holds': 0.21; 'dec': 0.22; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'concern': 0.28; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.28; 'looks': 0.29; 'granted,': 0.30; 'tail': 0.30; "isn't": 0.33; 'fri,': 0.34; 'to:addr:python- list': 0.34; 'lie': 0.34; 'ones,': 0.34; 'languages': 0.35; 'something': 0.35; 'subject:/': 0.35; 'especially': 0.35; 'similar': 0.36; 'but': 0.37; 'received:google.com': 0.37; 'another': 0.37; 'think': 0.37; 'received:209.85': 0.38; 'should': 0.39; "it's": 0.40; 'received:209': 0.40; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.40; 'brief': 0.40; '2011': 0.61; '30,': 0.74; 'serious': 0.78; '10:24': 0.84 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=Ilohw1lV/cLlNF1NJSbgm19bIW7nfvGi9t6whRYEQoY=; b=QOq2WwWBOQS8fP4YOLLviFHREsA4STc/baUkfStMlyb9ARU3vJj2bhovJ1vec3KLDB 0Nn1BU+8niyjgjzz5wdxNRPSmRs0OmwuKxUeg2ULUjZOHgM4wyjY4inS0pDkM3Xi/7+k JZGu+qNoc0A6xeKCv6rpeTcgdZCAMBSdqWSNg= MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: <841f4d29-f50b-4b0b-912b-b497fb6e60ec@t16g2000vba.googlegroups.com> <55f2aab5-be87-460e-8576-645ac225c63d@l19g2000yqc.googlegroups.com> <272d2d13-3168-4991-84ed-57a255a98c10@p9g2000vbb.googlegroups.com> <99ae9ba0-4488-4b77-8e56-cf5af0d594af@cs7g2000vbb.googlegroups.com> <4ef72180$0$29973$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <4efa5072$0$29973$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <4efab65f$0$29973$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <954ec0e8-327b-45c4-b49e-9c69c2e463c7@j10g2000vbe.googlegroups.com> <4efc69cc$0$29966$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:30:54 +1100 Subject: Re: Pythonification of the asterisk-based collection packing/unpacking syntax From: Chris Angelico To: python-list@python.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 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: 16 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1325201458 news.xs4all.nl 6951 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:60852 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:18196 On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 10:24 AM, Lie Ryan wrote: > Another drawback of it is that it looks misleadingly similar to C++ > namespace notation. Granted, but I don't see that as a drawback. The current notation is just as similar to C's pointer-dereference notation, but that hasn't led people to think that tail holds a pointer to the location where something should be stored. This would be a serious concern with notations that are common across many languages (eg "x*y" to mean multiplication, which isn't strictly what mathematics uses), but with language-specific notations, especially such brief ones, it's understood that there'll be duplication. ChrisA