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Re: Reference

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Date Mon, 3 Mar 2014 15:51:12 -0600
From Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com>
To python-list@python.org
Subject Re: Reference
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On 2014-03-03 21:35, Mark Lawrence wrote:
> I'd just like to know why people are so obsessed with identities,
> I've never thought to use them in 10+ years of writing Python.  Do
> I use the KISS principle too often?

There are a couple use-cases I've encountered where "is" matters:

1) the most popular:

  if foo is None:
    do_stuff()

2) sentinels (which are effectively non-None None values)

  SENTINEL = object()

  def myfuntion(value=SENTINEL):
    if value is SENTINEL:
      do_something_parameterless()
    else:
      do_something_else(value) # allow for value=None

3) when doing recursion and you want to prevent touching the same
object multiple times, such as what happens when you do

  lst = [1,2,3]
  lst.append(lst)
  print(lst)

and it needs to recognize that the final element of "lst" is one that
it has already seen (as done by identity).


There might be some other use cases, but #1 is a good 95% of my
usage, #2 is a good 4%, and I can only think of once in my Python
career when I've needed to do what is described in #3.

-tkc




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Thread

Reference "ast" <nomail@invalid.com> - 2014-03-03 10:42 +0100
  Object identity (was: Reference) Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-03 21:00 +1100
    Re: Object identity (was: Reference) "ast" <nomail@invalid.com> - 2014-03-03 11:21 +0100
  Re: Reference "Mark H. Harris" <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-03-03 05:09 -0800
  Re: Reference Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-03-03 14:29 +0000
  Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-03 07:52 -0800
    Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-04 08:10 +1100
    Re: Reference Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-03-03 15:24 -0600
    Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-04 08:31 +1100
    Re: Reference Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-03-03 21:35 +0000
      Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-04 00:07 +0200
        Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-04 09:18 +1100
          Re: Reference Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-03-04 11:10 +0000
            Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-04 11:48 +0000
              Re: Reference "Rhodri James" <rhodri@wildebst.org.uk> - 2014-03-05 00:25 +0000
    Re: Reference Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-03-03 15:51 -0600
    Re: Reference Jerry Hill <malaclypse2@gmail.com> - 2014-03-03 17:02 -0500
      Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-04 00:22 +0200
        Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 09:27 +1100
        Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-04 09:33 +1100
        Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-04 04:52 +0000
          Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 16:24 +1100
            Re: Reference "Rhodri James" <rhodri@wildebst.org.uk> - 2014-03-05 01:08 +0000
              Re: Reference Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-03-04 21:09 -0500
                Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 19:36 -0800
                Re: Reference Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 21:08 -0700
                Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 20:31 -0800
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-05 15:32 +1100
                Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 20:47 -0800
                Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-05 05:06 +0000
                Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 21:47 -0800
                Re: Reference alex23 <wuwei23@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 16:01 +1000
                Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 22:10 -0800
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-05 17:22 +1100
                Re: Reference alex23 <wuwei23@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 16:28 +1000
                Re: Reference Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-03-05 12:24 +0000
                Re: Reference Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-03-05 12:21 +0000
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-05 17:20 +1100
                Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 09:40 -0800
                Re: Reference Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-03-05 12:12 -0600
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-06 05:33 +1100
                Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-05 18:19 +0000
                Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-05 22:23 +0200
                Re: Reference Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-03-05 20:31 +0000
                Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-05 22:46 +0200
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-06 08:07 +1100
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-06 08:10 +1100
                Re: Reference Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-03-05 21:34 +0000
                Re: Reference Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-03-05 18:00 -0500
                Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-06 03:01 +0000
                Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 22:03 -0800
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-05 17:26 +1100
                Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 17:32 +1100
                Re: Reference Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-03-05 08:24 -0600
                Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-05 18:29 +0000
                Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-05 22:34 +0200
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-06 08:01 +1100
                Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-05 23:14 +0200
                Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-06 08:26 +1100
                Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-05 23:50 +0200
                Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-06 00:35 +0000
                Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-06 11:50 +1100
                Re: Reference Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-03-06 17:46 +0000
                Re: Reference Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-03-05 15:33 -0600
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-06 08:37 +1100
                Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-06 02:52 +0200
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-06 12:05 +1100
                Re: Reference alex23 <wuwei23@gmail.com> - 2014-03-06 12:12 +1000
                Re: Reference Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-03-05 21:46 +0000
                Re: Reference Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-03-05 08:23 +0200
                Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 22:33 -0800
                Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-05 17:40 +1100
                Re: Reference Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-03-05 12:35 +0000
                Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 23:45 +1100
          Re: Reference Jerry Hill <malaclypse2@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 10:19 -0500
            Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-04 15:42 +0000
              Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 03:02 +1100
                Re: Reference Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-03-04 11:14 -0500
              Re: Reference MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2014-03-04 17:12 +0000
            Re: Reference Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 08:24 -0800
          Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 02:25 +1100
          Re: Reference Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2014-03-05 14:37 +0100
      Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-04 03:59 +0000
    Re: Reference Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-03-04 09:17 +1100
      Re: Reference Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-03-03 18:02 -0500
        Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-04 10:09 +1100
        Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-04 04:38 +0000
  Re: Reference Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-03-03 13:48 -0500
    Re: Reference Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-03-04 03:45 +0000
    Re: Reference Alexander Blinne <news@blinne.net> - 2014-03-04 13:55 +0100
      Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 01:06 +1100
        Re: Reference Alexander Blinne <news@blinne.net> - 2014-03-04 22:53 +0100
          Re: Reference Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-03-05 09:01 +1100

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