The only differences are that tuples are immutable and that lists have extra methods.

Is there ever a strong need for list-type data to be immutable? Evough to justify a whole extra data-type in the language?

Should they release a python 4 with it removed?

The only thing I can think of is as a default function parameter. This function is okay:

def dothings(a=(1,2)):
    print(a)
    a = (a[0], 3)

But this function misbehaves the second time it is called:

def dothings(a=[1,2]):
    print(a)
    a[1] = 3

But IMO the “mutable arguments” thing is another bug to be fixed in a hypothetical python 4. And even in python 3 you just write the function the recommended way, so there is not such a big problem.

def dothings(a=None):
    if a is None:
        a = [1, 2]
    print(a)
    a[1] = 3

The Python devs are clever guys though. There must be some really important reason to maintain both types?

  • roastpotatothief@lemmy.mlOP
    0·
    3 years ago

    from here. this says that dicts are hashable, no?

    A hash is useful in identification of objects. For example, it speeds up data retrieval from a dict, identifying the arbitrary value of a key by a single numerical value from a finite interval - the key’s hash.

    oh wait the keys are hashable but the dict is not. understood. the keys are (immutable) strings.

    all this stylistic stuff, i just really see it as important. maybe because I’m new to programming, i think it’s most important for things to be simple. to remove redundancy and extra complexity. the niche stuff like namedtuple and hashable lists (ie tuples) can be hidden in some package.

    like in numpy there might be 5 methods that all do the same thing. they are there because stylistically, you might prefer one over the other, for neatness or readability etc. i would like to have only one way (or method or data type) to do one thing.