On Dec 6, 9:09�pm, Steven D'Aprano <[EMAIL PROTECTED] cybersource.com.au> wrote: > On Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:09:07 -0800, Mensanator wrote: > > On Dec 6, 6:25 pm, Steven D'Aprano <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > cybersource.com.au> wrote: > >> On Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:36:07 -0800, Mensanator wrote: > >> > It was extremely simple for me to fix the sympy module where I > >> > noticed it. I'm not saying it wasn't a problem, I'm saying it wasn't > >> > BROKEN. > > >> If it wasn't broken, why did you need to fix it? > > > If my tire is flat, I have to fix it. But it may just need air, in which > > case it's not broken. > > In which case it doesn't need *fixing*,
The state of the tire being flat has to be fixed, but not necessarily the tire. > it needs *refilling*. A flat tire > isn't necessarily broken. It is broken if it has a puncture or a slow > leak or has been ripped to shreds, but not if somebody merely let the air > out. "Air comes out if you open the value" is within standard operating > parameters and the tire is therefore working correctly. Just as "as" producing a syntax error is working correctly. > > >> "Broken" means "not working", not "unfixable". > > > So, you're saying that Python is broken and will remain so forever, > > since "as" will remain a keyword? > > I don't think that having "as" be a keyword is broken. But WS does and you appear to be taking his side. > I think the OP's > code is broken for Python 2.6 or better, So do I. Why are you arguing then? Simply to be pedantic about the meaning of "broken"? > and it will remain broken > forever unless he fixes it or chooses to stay with 2.5. > > > Are you advocating that we all switch to Ruby? > > Why do you think that? Because seem to be agreeing that the problem is with Python. If that's not what you meant, it's not coming across that way. > Do you imagine that Ruby has no features which are > inconvenient to users, or backwards incompatibilities, or warts, or that > it is impossible to write broken Ruby code? Who knows what you believe if you're agrreing that Python is permanently broken? > > -- > Steven -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list