In article <mailman.16217.1416793733.18130.python-l...@python.org>, Skip Montanaro <skip.montan...@gmail.com> wrote: >-=-=-=-=-=- > >I want to add one more thing to the other responses. People new to Python >often seem unaware that being an interpreted language, often the best way >to figure something out is to simply try it at the interpreter prompt. The >OP saw "var ** 2" in done code. The most obvious thing to me would have >been to type > >var = 42 >var ** 2 > >and see what happened. It's unlikely to trigger a nuclear meltdown, or even >crash the interpreter. > >Skip > >-=-=-=-=-=- >[Alternative: text/html] >-=-=-=-=-=-
With some perseverance, you can ask the interpreter what `` ** '' does: help(**) <syntax error> maybe so? help('**') Indeed, a whole description. help(var) help(42) also work. Come on, guys and dolls! Your advice to a newbies is soso, if in this kind of answer, the help facilitiy is not mentionned. Groetjes Albert -- Albert van der Horst, UTRECHT,THE NETHERLANDS Economic growth -- being exponential -- ultimately falters. albert@spe&ar&c.xs4all.nl &=n http://home.hccnet.nl/a.w.m.van.der.horst -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list