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Groups > comp.lang.python > #6722

Re: Something is rotten in Denmark...

From Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Re: Something is rotten in Denmark...
Date 2011-05-31 13:08 +0300
Organization University of Helsinki
Message-ID <qotd3izqj1j.fsf@ruuvi.it.helsinki.fi> (permalink)
References <Fa0Fp.18193$pi2.16608@newsfe11.iad>

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harrismh777 writes:

> >>> fs=[]
> >>> fs = [(lambda n: i + n) for i in range(10)]
> >>> [fs[i](1) for i in range(10)]
> [10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10]         <=== not good
> 
>      ( that was a big surprise! . . . )
>      ( let's try it another way . . . )

The ten functions share the same i. The list comprehension changes the
value of that i. At the time when the functions are called, the value
is 9.

A different list comprehension mechanism could create a fresh i for
each element instead of changing the value of one i. Then each of the
functions would have a private i which would have the value it had at
the time of the creation of the closure. That is not the Python
mechanism.

The same sharing-an-i thing happens here:

>>> fs = []
>>> for i in range(4):
...    fs.append(lambda n : i + n)
... 
>>> fs[0](0)
3

And the different private-j thing happens here:

>>> gs = []
>>> for i in range(4):
...    gs.append((lambda j : lambda n : j + n)(i))
... 
>>> gs[0](0)
0

You used the lambda itself to introduce its private i in your other
examples, in (lambda n, i=i : i + n). In its i=i, the i to the left is
a different i - will be a fresh i every time the function is called, I
think - while the i to the right gets resolved to the value of the i
that the list comprehension is stepping at the time when the closure
is created.

>       What is going on with the binding in the first
> construct... this seems to reduce the usefulness of lambda to a
> considerable extent?

The lambda is doing its lambda thing exactly. The list comprehension
just updates the one i in whatever you call it that each of the ten
closures remember, and they all observe the updates, so to say.

It's a bit subtle. Using different names might help, like I used j.

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Thread

Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-05-31 01:48 -0500
  Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Chris Rebert <clp2@rebertia.com> - 2011-05-31 00:00 -0700
  Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2011-05-31 01:35 -0600
  Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2011-05-31 13:08 +0300
    Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Thomas Rachel <nutznetz-0c1b6768-bfa9-48d5-a470-7603bd3aa915@spamschutz.glglgl.de> - 2011-05-31 12:48 +0200
      Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2011-05-31 15:15 +0300
  Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2011-05-31 13:11 -0400
    Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-05-31 15:18 -0500
      Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2011-05-31 16:24 -0600
      Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2011-05-31 19:14 -0400
        Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-05-31 19:09 -0500
          Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2011-06-01 13:11 -0400
            Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-06-01 19:40 -0500
              Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-06-01 19:50 -0500
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-02 04:37 +0000
              Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-02 05:14 +0000
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-06-02 18:02 +1000
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Alain Ketterlin <alain@dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr> - 2011-06-02 13:00 +0200
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2011-06-02 15:51 +0300
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2011-06-02 15:43 -0400
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2011-06-03 11:43 +1200
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2011-06-02 19:24 -0700
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2011-06-03 09:17 +0300
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2011-06-05 03:54 -0700
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2011-06-05 15:03 +0300
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2011-06-05 05:26 -0700
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2011-06-05 16:10 +0300
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Thomas Rachel <nutznetz-0c1b6768-bfa9-48d5-a470-7603bd3aa915@spamschutz.glglgl.de> - 2011-06-03 10:30 +0200
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2011-06-03 11:53 -0600
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Alain Ketterlin <alain@dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr> - 2011-06-03 12:35 +0200
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2011-06-03 14:07 +0300
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-06-03 15:38 -0500
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2011-06-04 12:40 +1200
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-03 14:07 +0100
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-06-02 10:44 -0500
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-06-02 10:55 -0500
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-02 17:22 +0000
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2011-06-02 11:43 -0600
              Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2011-06-02 02:02 -0400
                Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-06-02 11:02 -0500
  Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Martin Manns <mmanns@gmx.net> - 2011-05-31 23:14 +0200
    Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2011-05-31 15:47 -0600
      Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Martin Manns <mmanns@gmx.net> - 2011-06-01 02:57 +0200
    Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-05-31 16:53 -0500
      Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-05-31 17:06 -0500
      Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-06-01 08:39 +1000
      Re: Something is rotten in Denmark... Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-06-01 08:40 +1000

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