Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!cs.uu.nl!news.stack.nl!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed5.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!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; 'newbie': 0.03; 'warnings': 0.05; 'subject:when': 0.07; 'python': 0.08; 'difference,': 0.09; 'from:addr:ethan': 0.09; 'from:addr:stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'from:name:ethan furman': 0.09; 'garbage': 0.09; 'message- id:@stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'received:gator410.hostgator.com': 0.09; '~ethan~': 0.09; 'altogether.': 0.16; 'leaks': 0.16; 'received:72.11': 0.16; 'received:72.11.125': 0.16; 'received:72.11.125.166': 0.16; 'semanchuk': 0.16; 'subject:builtin': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.16; 'example.': 0.18; '(which': 0.19; 'memory': 0.21; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'happen.': 0.23; "python's": 0.24; "i'm": 0.27; 'programmers': 0.31; 'subject:?': 0.31; 'does': 0.32; 'it.': 0.33; 'there': 0.33; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.33; 'however,': 0.34; 'header:User- Agent:1': 0.34; 'help,': 0.35; 'thread': 0.37; 'but': 0.37; 'think': 0.38; 'subject:: ': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'our': 0.63; 'received:websitewelcome.com': 0.64; 'received:184': 0.67; 'received:69.93': 0.67; 'collection': 0.73; 'offering': 0.75; 'productivity': 0.80; 'knows,': 0.84; 'increases': 0.93; 'beneficial': 0.95 Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:07:58 -0700 From: Ethan Furman User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.10 (Windows/20070221) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: python-list list Subject: Re: Why no warnings when re-assigning builtin names? References: <4e49c89a$0$30001$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <4e49fcd7$0$29974$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <2A3EB048-1F10-46E8-973F-9BBD303E7B9F@semanchuk.com> <4E4A8F94.50706@stoneleaf.us> <4E4A98AE.1070708@stoneleaf.us> <2DF0915B-4F34-43D2-A2AB-A7FB35B76039@semanchuk.com> In-Reply-To: <2DF0915B-4F34-43D2-A2AB-A7FB35B76039@semanchuk.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; 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 - gator410.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: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: X-Source-Sender: mail.admailinc.com ([192.168.10.136]) [72.11.125.166]:3982 X-Source-Auth: ethan+stoneleaf.us X-Email-Count: 2 X-Source-Cap: dG9idWs7dG9idWs7Z2F0b3I0MTAuaG9zdGdhdG9yLmNvbQ== 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: 14 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1313513500 news.xs4all.nl 23837 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:55909 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:11581 Philip Semanchuk wrote: > I think Python does lots of beneficial hand-holding. Garbage collection > is a good example. $DIETY knows, people have been struggling with manual > memory management in C and its ilk for a long time. Even though there > are good tools to help, memory leaks still happen. Python increases our > productivity by allowing us to forget about manual memory management > altogether. I can do it with tools like valgrind, but Python's makes > the point moot. Is that hand-holding? If so, I'm all for it. Good point. There is an important difference, however, between offering warnings to newbie programmers (which is how this thread started), and memory management. ~Ethan~