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Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!)

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On 2014-02-11 06:30, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> You need to understand the difference between syntax and semantics.
> This is invalid English syntax:
> 
> "Cat mat on sat the."
> 
> This is valid syntax, but semantically wrong:
> 
> "The mat sat on the cat."
> 
> This is both syntactically and semantically correct:
> 
> "The cat sat on the mat."

And there are times you *do* want to do unconventional things with
the language, and Python allows that:

http://www.catster.com/files/600px-cat-hiding-under-rug.jpg

because in that particular use case, it *is* semantically correct.

> With Python's correct design, we have:
> 
> spam  # always, without exception, refers to the object
> spam()  # always, without exception, calls the object
> 
> With your suggested design, we would have:
> 
> spam  # sometimes refers to the object, sometimes calls the object
> spam()  # always calls the object
> 
> Ruby makes this mistake, and is a lessor language for it.

One of the (many) reasons Ruby drives me nuts.

-tkc

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PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2014-02-10 10:45 -0800
  Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-02-10 19:15 +0000
  Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2014-02-10 14:17 -0500
  Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Rotwang <sg552@hotmail.co.uk> - 2014-02-10 21:12 +0000
    Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2014-02-10 17:00 -0500
    Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-02-10 17:59 -0500
  Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-02-11 09:30 +1100
  Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-02-11 06:30 +0000
    Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-02-11 09:26 -0600
    Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Travis Griggs <travisgriggs@gmail.com> - 2014-02-11 07:36 -0800
      Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2014-02-11 18:07 +0200
        Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-02-12 03:14 +1100
      Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-02-13 04:11 +0000
        Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-02-13 15:30 +1100
          Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-02-13 09:58 -0500
            Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-02-14 06:17 +1100
        Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-02-13 05:39 -0600
        Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-02-13 05:51 -0600
        Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-02-13 15:00 -0700
    Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-02-12 02:52 +1100
    Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Travis Griggs <travisgriggs@gmail.com> - 2014-02-11 08:19 -0800
    Re: PyWart: More surpises via "implict conversion to boolean" (and other steaming piles!) Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-02-11 12:57 -0500

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