Groups > comp.lang.python > #20759

Re: sum() requires number, not simply add

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Date	2012-02-24 09:04 +1100
Subject	Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__
From	Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Message-ID	<mailman.96.1330034667.3037.python-list@python.org> (permalink)

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On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 8:59 AM, Arnaud Delobelle <arnodel@gmail.com> wrote:
> def sum(iterable, start=_sentinel, _sentinel=_sentinel):

Is this a reason for Python to introduce a new syntax, such as:

def foo(blah, optional=del):
    if optional is del: print("No argument was provided")

Basically, 'del' is treated like a unique non-providable object, only
possible in an argument list and only if the argument was omitted. No
more proliferation of individual sentinels... what do you think?

(I picked "del" because it's an existing keyword. Fairly arbitrary
choice though.)

Chris Angelico

Thread

sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Buck Golemon <buck@yelp.com> - 2012-02-23 13:19 -0800
  Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Buck Golemon <buck@yelp.com> - 2012-02-23 13:23 -0800
    Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Arnaud Delobelle <arnodel@gmail.com> - 2012-02-23 21:41 +0000
    Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-02-24 08:53 +1100
      Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-02-23 23:33 +0000
        Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-02-24 10:39 +1100
        Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2012-02-24 12:41 +0100
          Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2012-02-24 08:23 -0500
            Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-02-24 16:58 -0500
    Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Arnaud Delobelle <arnodel@gmail.com> - 2012-02-23 21:59 +0000
    Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-02-23 15:00 -0700
    Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-02-24 09:04 +1100
    Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Arnaud Delobelle <arnodel@gmail.com> - 2012-02-23 22:09 +0000
  Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Arnaud Delobelle <arnodel@gmail.com> - 2012-02-23 21:32 +0000
  Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Chris Rebert <clp2@rebertia.com> - 2012-02-23 13:32 -0800
    Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Buck Golemon <buck@yelp.com> - 2012-02-23 13:38 -0800
      Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-02-23 14:54 -0700
  Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Stefan Behnel <stefan_ml@behnel.de> - 2012-02-23 22:42 +0100
    Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Duncan Booth <duncan.booth@invalid.invalid> - 2012-02-24 11:40 +0000
  Re: sum() requires number, not simply __add__ Peter Otten <__peter__@web.de> - 2012-02-24 09:29 +0100

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