Clarification on python intro

Alan Garrison aeg@lbwl.com
Tue, 09 May 2000 09:58:43 -0400


Hmmm... the carriage returns got garbled (I blame GroupWise).
Maybe this will clean it up.

>>> # create three local lists (mutable objects)
>>> loc1 = [1,2,3]>>> loc2 = ["a","b","c"]
>>> loc3 = ["d","e","f"]
>>> # create function to test mutability
>>> def Dinsdale(arg1,arg2,arg3):
... 	arg1[0] = "99"         # first, change indexed value
... 	arg1 = ["spam", "SPAM", "SPAM!!!"]  # second, create new list
... 	arg2 = [44,45,46]      # first, create new list instance
... 	arg2[0] = 55     # second, change indexed value
... 	arg3 = "Assigning the argument to be a new type"
... 	
>>> Dinsdale(loc1,loc2,loc3)   # call function with our locals
>>> print loc1    # should have [0] index changed
['99', 2, 3]
>>> print loc2    # should not change
['a', 'b', 'c']
>>> print loc3    # should not change
['d', 'e', 'f']
>>> 

Better?