I love Python, and it is one of my 2 favorite languages. I would suggest that Python steal some aspects of the S language.
------------------------------------------------------- 1. Currently in Python def foo(x,y): ... assigns the name foo to a function object. Is this pythonic? Why not use the = operator like most other assignments? Define function objects as "function"s, let users put them where they want to. Get rid of lambda, get rid of def, only use = for assignments. foo = function(x,y) x+y*2 # Example S language code bar = foo bar(3,4) m = lapply( s, foo ) bb = lapply(s, function(t) t[3]*4 ) foo = func(x,y): x+y*2 # Possible python code bar = foo bar(3,4) m = barf( s, foo ) bb = barf(s, func(t): t[3]*4 ) ------------------------------------------------------- 2. Allow sequences to be indices: >>> s=["hello", 6, 33, "none"] >>> x= [1,3] >>> [ s[y] for y in x] # Current verbose version [6, 'none'] >>> s[x] # Simpler, clearer, more productive To quote a poster at http://www.thescripts.com/forum/thread22741.html, "While we are at it, I also don't understand why sequences can't be used as indices. Why not, say, l[[2,3]] or l[(2, 3)]? Why a special slice concept? " Isn't that unpythonic? -------------------------------------------------------- 3. When I first started using python, I frequently used map, because I didn't want to have to learn the additional syntax of list comprehensions, which appeared very nonstructured. # Is this readable? b= [x+y for x in vec1 if x>0 for y in vec2 if y>x ] Perhaps a list comprehension syntax more like the rest of python. "for" could return a list given by continue arguments: b= for x in vec1 : if (x>0): continue # "returns" nothing continue for y in vec2: if (x>y): continue(x+y) Note that my code would actually return a list of lists rather than a single list like the list comprehension. More structured syntax opens the door to having much more complicated, yet still comprehensible (thus more pythonic), list comprehensions. -------------------------------------------------------- I know these ideas are not perfect, but I think they may be better... Fire away. -Frank -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
