Comments on The History of Python: Early Language Design and Development

Spanish translation here.

2009-03-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Spanish translation here.

@malkarouri: input() and raw_input() came from the...

2009-02-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

@malkarouri: input() and raw_input() came from the input facilities in ABC, with some tweaks. Check out the two forms of READ here: http://homepages.cwi.nl/~steven/abc/qr.html

Hi Guido,Thanks for the brilliant language:)As we ...

2009-02-08T04:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Guido,

Thanks for the brilliant language:)
As we are in history mode, can I ask about the origins of the input function as compared to the raw_input one? What were the circumstances in which input() was designed?
I am asking because I though it was part of a bootstrapping step for Python, but I may be widely off the mark.

njr,It's OK :)I image the chance of it being accep...

2009-02-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

njr,

It's OK :)

I image the chance of it being accepted rather small, too. But I'll try anyway. "Now is better than never". Once in a while this ancient topic will be brought up and debated; it must be worth something.

Py3k is not widespread anyway, and I guess there should be a tiny chance. I don't even mind waiting until Py4k to have it. I image I will still be around by then :P

RiobardThanks for the invitation, but no, I must d...

2009-02-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

Riobard

Thanks for the invitation, but no, I must decline for several reasons.

1. I think it's too late.

2. I don't actually think it would be a good idea to make them optional: I'd like to make them disappear completely (which would obviously be rather more disruptive).

3. If we can't persuade Guido, I think we have to consider the possibility that he might have a point :-)

Guido, thanks very much! Though it did not convinc...

2009-02-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

Guido, thanks very much! Though it did not convince me the necessity of colons, I do appreciate your feedback :) Yes I like the principle of TOOWTDI, but in this case I don't think omitting colons can really be classified as "another way to do it".

It seems there are indeed some people like the idea of making colons optional. So I'll give it a try anyway.

njr, if possible, may I invite you to join me in the mailing list for the idea? :P

I too am interested to read where the colons come ...

2009-02-04T05:45:00.000-08:00

I too am interested to read where the colons come from, as they are the one area that trip me up most often. For what it's worth, even as a python beginner (though not a new programmer, admittedly, and one who had previously used occam) the colons tripped me up, and they still seem like a carbuncle on the otherwise elegant edifice that is python.

As for TOOWTDO, I would argue the reverse. I'd always assumed colons were there to allow two lines to be compressed to one, a practice I really dislike. Without them, this would presumably be impossible and there would be only one way to do things!

Still, I've given up hoping it will change since it didn't in python 3.0; and while I believe that you *can* argue with data (see http://scientificmarketer.com/2009/02/murphys-laws-for-data.html), it does sound like you have some evidence to support the status quo.

@Riobard: I don't think you'll get any traction wi...

2009-02-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

@Riobard: I don't think you'll get any traction with your proposal to make the colon optional. I personally think it would be a mistake, because it reduces redundancy in the language, making it more likely that certain syntax errors aren't caught. Plus, TOOWTDI. :-)

Hi Guido,Thanks for the post. It explained the rat...

2009-02-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Guido,

Thanks for the post. It explained the rationale of colons being used in addition to indentation, which bothered me in one of your previous posts.

Before I read this post, however, I was thinking about proposing to python-ideas mailing list the possibility of making colons optional (as you suggested). May I ask what is your opinion about this? I like the idea, but if I know in advance that the BDFL will be strongly against it, I would think twice.

Thanks again for writing the great series!

Interesting to learn where colons come from and su...

2009-02-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

Interesting to learn where colons come from and such. Thanks for writing these.