On Tue, 11 Nov 2014 11:40:38 -0800 (PST) Peter Cacioppi <peter.cacio...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I get the impression that most Pythonistas aren't as habituated with assert > statements as I am. Is that just a misimpression on my part? If not, is there > a good reason to assert less with Python than other languages? > > As far as I can tell, Python supports assert perfectly well. When run with > the optimization flagging, the asserts are truly removed. > > I think one needs to take care with some basic assert coding - it's not a > substitute for unit tests, it doesn't absolve you of normal exception > responsibilities, and, most of all, it should be used for passive inspection > and not action. But given these guidelines, I still find it very useful as > "active comments". > I tend to be a big fan, but it is easy to forget about the one big rake assert leaves in your lawn. You CAN NOT use an assert with any function that has a side effect or you break everything. assert test_and_set(var) That line there is pretty obvious about what's going on, but with the ability to turn class data members transparently into properties, using asserts safely actually requires a shocking amount of self-discipline. assert obj.read_accesses < 10 -- Rob Gaddi, Highland Technology -- www.highlandtechnology.com Email address domain is currently out of order. See above to fix. -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
