greg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > none wrote: >> IIRC, I once saw an explanation how Python doesn't have >> "variables" in the sense that, say, C does, and instead has bindings >> from names to objects. > > If you're talking to C programmers, just tell them that Python > variables always contain pointers. That should give them the right > mental model to build on.
That is a convenient shortcut when it works, but in my experience it tends to confuse the issue. The reason is that one of the main uses of pointers in C is implementing pass-by-reference. A C programmer told that Python variables internally hold pointers expects this code: def func(a): a = 10 ... func(x) to change the value of x. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
