Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!gegeweb.org!de-l.enfer-du-nord.net!feeder2.enfer-du-nord.net!txtfeed1.tudelft.nl!tudelft.nl!txtfeed2.tudelft.nl!amsnews11.chello.com!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 0.021 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.96; '*S*': 0.00; 'am,': 0.12; 'cc:addr :python-list': 0.15; 'does,': 0.16; 'obvious.': 0.16; 'subject:function': 0.16; 'to:addr:pearwood.info': 0.16; 'to:addr:steve+comp.lang.python': 0.16; "to:name:steven d'aprano": 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.16; 'wed,': 0.17; 'jan': 0.19; 'cc:no real name:2**0': 0.21; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'explains': 0.24; 'cc:2**0': 0.25; 'saying': 0.25; 'separate': 0.28; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.28; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.29; 'confused': 0.30; 'received:209.85.210.46': 0.30; 'received:mail- pz0-f46.google.com': 0.30; 'subject:?': 0.30; 'actually': 0.32; 'does': 0.32; 'it.': 0.33; 'nobody': 0.34; 'especially': 0.35; 'question': 0.35; 'likes': 0.36; 'but': 0.37; 'received:google.com': 0.37; 'steven': 0.38; 'received:209.85': 0.38; 'put': 0.38; 'should': 0.38; "what's": 0.39; 'received:209': 0.39; 'subject:: ': 0.39; 'zip': 0.62; 'ever': 0.64; 'why?': 0.77 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id:subject:to :cc:content-type; bh=N4I7O/WV7dcmwKGf1GK5427Xwxu5uQZxHi5OpJLWVMo=; b=OZw8Iz4lghItZCI/z2Bw+B/vU9iHl46ecLsp48TuNPuPQLpnWAYuGxh5kXfp3wkpjR jyeN6q7qdNwnS6n9Sp1HeUzE5FueTM41IUAfEZpZ5FId/+5NbasC7+TdiN0sOfdAjtsc mEaIOEXfTmY3XK4mhyECZQkl/cj7aXNFRpE5Y= MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <4f16e4e7$0$29994$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> References: <4f16e4e7$0$29994$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> From: Devin Jeanpierre Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:20:00 -0500 Subject: Re: unzip function? To: "Steven D'Aprano" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Cc: python-list@python.org 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: 19 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1326903650 news.xs4all.nl 6937 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48988 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:19092 On Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 10:27 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote: >> That zip (*sorted... >> >> does the unzipping. >> >> But it's less than intuitively obvious. > > *shrug* > > If you understand what zip does, it should be obvious. Nobody likes to be told the thing they're confused about is trivial. It's especially bad if nobody ever actually explains what's so simple about it. Saying it's "almost its own inverse" is just restating the original question -- yes, that's what it is, but why? (I have put my own interpretation in a separate reply. ) -- Devin