[issue26449] Tutorial on Python Scopes and Namespaces uses confusing 'read-only' terminology

2016-02-29 Thread Steve Holden
Steve Holden added the comment: I don't agree there is any place for the term "read-only" in this document. A reader who doesn't understand it or seeks clarification is likely to end up at a page like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read-only. I submit that nowhere except the documentation

[issue26449] Tutorial on Python Scopes and Namespaces uses confusing 'read-only' terminology

2016-02-29 Thread Martijn Pieters
Martijn Pieters added the comment: +1 for "... can only be read". read-only can too easily be construed to mean that the variable cannot be set from *anywhere*, even the original scope. Another alternative would be "... is effectively read-only", but "... can only be read" is simpler.

[issue26449] Tutorial on Python Scopes and Namespaces uses confusing 'read-only' terminology

2016-02-28 Thread Georg Brandl
Georg Brandl added the comment: I think rephrasing with "... can only be read" would keep the intended meaning, but avoid the problematic "the namespaces are readonly" meaning. -- nosy: +georg.brandl ___ Python tracker

[issue26449] Tutorial on Python Scopes and Namespaces uses confusing 'read-only' terminology

2016-02-27 Thread Ezio Melotti
Ezio Melotti added the comment: I agree with Raymond. IMHO the term "read-only" does a good job at conveying the fact that you can still access/read the value of the variable but you can't assign to it. "read-only" is about /what/ you can do with the variable, even though it would also be

[issue26449] Tutorial on Python Scopes and Namespaces uses confusing 'read-only' terminology

2016-02-27 Thread Raymond Hettinger
Raymond Hettinger added the comment: FWIW, the learners in my Python classes seem to find the words "read-only" to be helpful. Also, I think "not visible" conveys the wrong mental model ("shadowed" being a little more accurate). I also disagree with saying that "variables are never

[issue26449] Tutorial on Python Scopes and Namespaces uses confusing 'read-only' terminology

2016-02-27 Thread Martijn Pieters
Changes by Martijn Pieters : -- assignee: -> docs@python components: +Documentation nosy: +docs@python ___ Python tracker ___

[issue26449] Tutorial on Python Scopes and Namespaces uses confusing 'read-only' terminology

2016-02-27 Thread Martijn Pieters
New submission from Martijn Pieters: >From the 9.2. Python Scopes and Namespace section: > If a name is declared global, then all references and assignments go directly > to the middle scope containing the module’s global names. To rebind variables > found outside of the innermost scope, the