When does talking about #programming sound like Philosophy 101?
Teaching None in #Python (or similar in other languages) is one of them
stuff = None
I can be heard saying the following when teaching (not quite, but dramatising a bit for effect!)
“stuff is not empty. But we want it to be empty. But we need to put something in. So we put Python’s way of representing nothing. But None is still an object. So it’s still something. But it’s something that represents nothingness. Is that all clear?!”
It’s a bit like when you’re told to listen to silence in a meditation exercise?!
@s_gruppetta If the concept of None is hard to explain perhaps its not a great idea? These days I have a hard time understanding why allowing a variable to change type is ever a good language design. IMO the only time a string should ever be anything other than a string is during a kernel panic :)
(I realize this comment is neither here nor there, just thinking a loud)
@SignalsAndSorcery The static v. dynamic typing debate is one that will go on forever. There’s a place for both, I feel, depending on the use case…
@s_gruppetta fair enough :)
@s_gruppetta It's the concept of l-value/r-value difference that may be strange to uninitiated. #Python None is just one example of it and straightforward one at that.
Also, If void* falls in the forrest, does it make a sound?