Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2.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 0.005 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'differently': 0.07; '__init__': 0.09; 'constructor': 0.09; 'from:addr:ethan': 0.09; 'from:addr:stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'from:name:ethan furman': 0.09; 'message-id:@stoneleaf.us': 0.09; '~ethan~': 0.09; 'python': 0.11; 'constructor.': 0.16; 'finney': 0.16; 'java.': 0.16; 'received:gateway01.websitewelcome.com': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'creating': 0.23; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'header:In-Reply- To:1': 0.27; 'point': 0.28; "i'm": 0.30; 'writes:': 0.31; 'subject:the': 0.34; "i'd": 0.34; 'but': 0.35; 'c++': 0.36; 'yield': 0.36; 'ben': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; 'anything': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:173': 0.61; 'received:69.56': 0.68; 'hoping': 0.75; 'batchelder': 0.84; 'confusing': 0.84 Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 16:13:52 -0800 From: Ethan Furman User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:16.0) Gecko/20121010 Thunderbird/16.0.1 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: python-list@python.org Subject: Re: __init__ is the initialiser References: <858utviwgs.fsf@benfinney.id.au> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - gator3304.hostgator.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - python.org X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - stoneleaf.us X-BWhitelist: no X-Source-IP: 173.12.184.233 X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: X-Source-Sender: ([173.12.184.233]) [173.12.184.233]:36069 X-Source-Auth: ethan+stoneleaf.us X-Email-Count: 2 X-Source-Cap: dG9idWs7dG9idWs7Z2F0b3IzMzA0Lmhvc3RnYXRvci5jb20= X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 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: 13 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1391214984 news.xs4all.nl 2835 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:60539 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:65153 On 01/31/2014 03:43 PM, Ned Batchelder wrote: > On 1/31/14 6:05 PM, Ben Finney wrote: >> Ned Batchelder writes: > > I'm not hoping to change any official terminology. I just think that calling __init__ anything other than a constructor > is confusing pedantry. It is a constructor, and Python constructors work differently than those in C++ and Java. And I would say the opposite. __init__ is not creating anything, which is what I think of when speaking of a constructor. I'd be willing to yield the point that Python has a pair of methods that make up the constructor (an allocator and an initializer), but I found calling __init__ the constructor very confusing. -- ~Ethan~