Antoon Pardon wrote:
Op 2005-01-13, hanz schreef <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
Antoon Pardon wrote:
So if I have a call with an expression that takes more than
one line, I should assign the expression to a variable and
use the variable in the call?
Yes, that's sometimes a good practice and can clarify
the call.
But wait if I do that, people will tell me how bad that it
is, because it will keep a reference to the value which
will prevent the garbage collector from harvesting this
memory.
Of course, unless that reference is in the global scope of the __main__
module its lifetime will be transient anyway. If the reference is stored
in a function's local variable then unless its value is returned from
the function it will become available for garbage collection when the
function returns.
Nobody will tell you that it's bad.
Sorry, someone already did. If I recall correctly it
was Alex Martelli.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds". Rules are made
to be broken. Besides which, if you don't understand the language
environment, rules alone will do you very little good. Try to focus a
little more on principles and a little less on minutiae.
regards
Steve
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