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To: python-list@python.org
From: Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu>
Subject: Re: An interesting beginner question: why we need colon at all in the python language?
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:18:18 -0400
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On 7/13/2011 2:26 AM, alex23 wrote:
> Thomas Jollans<t...@jollybox.de>  wrote:
>> Coincidentally, Guido wrote this blog post just last week, without which
>> I'd be just as much at a loss as you:
>>
>> http://python-history.blogspot.com/2011/07/karin-dewar-indentation-an...
>
> It's also part of the Python FAQ:
>
> http://docs.python.org/faq/design.html#why-are-colons-required-for-the-if-while-def-class-statements

An added note: the header lines of compound statements do not 
necessarily occupy just one physical line. The : signals the end of the 
logical line. Editors can use to to indent intelligently. Consider

def myfunc(a,
            b,
            c):
     return a+b+c

All indentation was done automatically by IDLE's editor.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy