>> Assignment in Python is not a copy, it is a name binding. Assignment
>> creates a name for an object. If you assign the same object to two
>> names, they both are bound to the same thing. If the object is mutable,
>> like a list, changes to the object will be seen regardless of which
>> name you use to refer to it.
>>
>> ******
>
> In that case, is it possible to copy a variable by value, instead of by
> reference, in Python?
The 'copy' module is available,
http://www.python.org/doc/lib/module-copy.html
So in a pinch, if we're really paranoid, we can pass copies of our
argument values to a function. In general, though, a function should
really document if it mutates its arguments, because that's generally a
very rude thing to do unless it's the expected behavior.
_______________________________________________
Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
