Python and Ruby
in [Python]
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From: Steven D'Aprano on 31 Jan 2010 17:36 On Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:28:41 -0800, Ed Keith wrote: > In most functional languages you just name a function to access it and > you do it ALL the time. > > for example, in if you have a function 'f' which takes two parameters to > call the function and get the result you use: > > f 2 3 > > If you want the function itself you use: > > f How do you call a function of no arguments? -- Steven
From: Steven D'Aprano on 31 Jan 2010 17:37 On Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:47:08 -0600, John Bokma wrote: > An editor can correct the indenting of the braces example but can't with > this one. > > if x: > if y: > foo() > else: > bar() > > While braces might be considered redundant they are not when for one > reason or another formatting is lost or done incorrectly. I've heard this argument before, and I don't buy it. Why should we expect the editor to correct malformed code? Would you expect your editor to correct this malformed code? result = sin(x+)y Why should broken indentation be held to a higher standard than any other breakage in code? -- Steven
From: Chris Rebert on 31 Jan 2010 18:40 On Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 2:36 PM, Steven D'Aprano <steve(a)remove-this-cybersource.com.au> wrote: > On Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:28:41 -0800, Ed Keith wrote: >> In most functional languages you just name a function to access it and >> you do it ALL the time. >> >> for example, in if you have a function 'f' which takes two parameters to >> call the function and get the result you use: >> >> Â f 2 3 >> >> If you want the function itself you use: >> >> Â Â f > > How do you call a function of no arguments? It's not really a function in that case, it's just a named constant. (Recall that functions don't/can't have side-effects.) Cheers, Chris -- http://blog.rebertia.com
From: Arnaud Delobelle on 31 Jan 2010 19:14 Steven D'Aprano <steve(a)REMOVE-THIS-cybersource.com.au> writes: > On Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:28:41 -0800, Ed Keith wrote: > >> In most functional languages you just name a function to access it and >> you do it ALL the time. >> >> for example, in if you have a function 'f' which takes two parameters to >> call the function and get the result you use: >> >> f 2 3 >> >> If you want the function itself you use: >> >> f > > How do you call a function of no arguments? In a functional language, a function of no arguments will always return the same value. So, from a non-functional point of vue, f is both the function and its value. -- Arnaud
From: Steven D'Aprano on 31 Jan 2010 19:25
On Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:40:36 -0800, Chris Rebert wrote: > On Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 2:36 PM, Steven D'Aprano > <steve(a)remove-this-cybersource.com.au> wrote: >> On Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:28:41 -0800, Ed Keith wrote: >>> In most functional languages you just name a function to access it and >>> you do it ALL the time. >>> >>> for example, in if you have a function 'f' which takes two parameters >>> to call the function and get the result you use: >>> >>> f 2 3 >>> >>> If you want the function itself you use: >>> >>> f >> >> How do you call a function of no arguments? > > It's not really a function in that case, it's just a named constant. > (Recall that functions don't/can't have side-effects.) >>> time.time(), random.random() (1264983502.7505889, 0.29974255140479633) >>> time.time(), random.random() (1264983505.9283719, 0.74207867411026329) They don't look terribly constant to me. There is a difference between a function that does "give me whatever value is specified by a fixed description" and a function that does "give me a fixed value". -- Steven |