Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.fsmpi.rwth-aachen.de!news.mixmin.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2a.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!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 0.060 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.88; '*S*': 0.00; '21,': 0.07; 'cc:addr :python-list': 0.11; 'itself.': 0.14; 'all?': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'repr()': 0.16; 'value;': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; 'header:In-Reply- To:1': 0.27; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'this.': 0.32; 'fri,': 0.33; 'implemented': 0.33; 'something': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'useful': 0.36; 'list': 0.37; 'list.': 0.37; 'checks': 0.38; 'nov': 0.38; 'list,': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; 'does': 0.39; 'how': 0.40; 'back': 0.62; 'carefully': 0.74; 'behavior': 0.77; 'careful': 0.91; 'to:none': 0.92 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:cc :content-type; bh=i26YkfxT3kptP9Wc5TEWe54WlfZbV0g77IPMHXg7Zrw=; b=EE33VIfBoFbWgEwxmbDRX93bI4c7/G3XTGseE3WkUypPNzgT0mlYbrU7X9/lfXPybW xIajsZ04J9T3Hsyxs17KcMVcLiAgfZpKZEtMAchKjmqzpf7k+YgOVI1zhHoJaGcF+R4f Tk8kyXzHpNAZXiYvVMiNFic1b+zEEMaeFUDGp53XG+IcnVCslefgsxTwBYdjuEcuFtZJ 5ljOc9I2CAOf+ClRqc7EQNZblk39mf/AM+Xoapl01n2b/ju5GF6PMZ+DzehZTh8W4oPK s7VVxL0s3EQsNdAKoeXbMHD5knVW59km1eowfYJ73ZOp6LNzQZIjrHdv2FRYU2ccX2QK n0wQ== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.42.64.143 with SMTP id g15mr4348983ici.59.1416553429247; Thu, 20 Nov 2014 23:03:49 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <931d12c0-12b3-4278-a9b9-1e2c32f138b3@googlegroups.com> References: <931d12c0-12b3-4278-a9b9-1e2c32f138b3@googlegroups.com> Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 18:03:49 +1100 Subject: Re: Infinitely nested containers From: Chris Angelico Cc: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 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: 9 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1416553437 news.xs4all.nl 2973 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:36608 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:81175 On Fri, Nov 21, 2014 at 4:54 PM, Gill Shen wrote: > How is this behavior implemented under the hood? And why is this allowed at all? Is it just a curiosity or can you do something useful with it? Simple: The list contains itself. When you dereference the list, you get back the original list. It does have value; you just have to be careful of any recursive operation like printing it out - the repr() for a list carefully checks for this. ChrisA