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Re: Random string of digits?

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On Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:11:56 +1100, Chris Angelico wrote:
> > I prefer not to rely on the source. That tells me what happens, not
> > what's guaranteed to happen. 

Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> wrote:
> In this case, the source explicitly tells you that the API includes 
> support for arbitrary large ranges if you include a getrandbits() method:
> 
>      Optionally, implement a getrandbits() method so that randrange()
>      can cover arbitrarily large ranges.
> 
> I call that a pretty strong guarantee.

I think you mis-understood Chris's point.  The documentation is the 
specification of how something behaves.  If the documentation doesn't 
say it, you can't rely on it.  The user should never have to read the 
source to know how to use a function, or what they can depend on.  Now, 
I'm not saying that reading the source isn't useful for a deeper 
understanding, but it should be understood that any insights you glean 
from doing that are strictly implementation details.

If you're saying that there are guarantees made by the implementation of 
getrandbits() which are not documented, then one of two things are true:

1) It is intended that users can depend on that behavior, in which case 
it's a bug in the docs, and the docs should be updated.

or

2) It is not intended that users can depend on that behavior, in which 
case they would be foolish to do so.

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Thread

Random string of digits? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-12-25 08:30 -0500
  Re: Random string of digits? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-12-25 13:48 +0000
    Re: Random string of digits? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-12-26 00:54 +1100
      Re: Random string of digits? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-12-25 15:46 +0000
        Re: Random string of digits? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-12-26 03:11 +1100
          Re: Random string of digits? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-12-25 17:18 +0000
            Re: Random string of digits? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-12-25 12:41 -0500
              Re: Random string of digits? 88888 Dihedral <dihedral88888@googlemail.com> - 2011-12-25 11:50 -0800
              Re: Random string of digits? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-12-26 03:00 +0000
                Re: Random string of digits? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-12-26 14:43 +1100
                Re: Random string of digits? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-12-25 23:17 -0500
                Re: Random string of digits? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-12-26 15:26 +1100
    Re: Random string of digits? Serhiy Storchaka <storchaka@gmail.com> - 2011-12-25 19:32 +0200
  Re: Random string of digits? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-12-26 00:50 +1100
    Re: Random string of digits? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-12-25 09:21 -0500
      Re: Random string of digits? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-12-26 01:51 +1100
        Re: Random string of digits? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-12-25 15:27 +0000
  Re: Random string of digits? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-12-26 00:51 +1100
  Re: Random string of digits? Peter Otten <__peter__@web.de> - 2011-12-25 16:21 +0100

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