Simple Class/Variable passing question

[monkeyboy]

Hello,

I'm new to python, and PythonCard. In the code below, I'm trying to
create a member variable (self.currValue) of the class, then just pass
it to a simple function (MainOutputRoutine) to increment it. I thought
Python "passed by reference" all variables, but the member variable
doesn't seem to be incremented. If I make the function just increment
the member variable directly, without passing it in, it works fine?

In the code below, "self.currValue" stays at 5, and value evaluates to
1? Any insight would be appreciated...


class TestModel(model.Background):

def on_initialize(self,event):
self.currValue = 5

def on_startBtn_mouseClick(self, event):
self.MainOutputRoutine(self.currValue)
self.OutputRoutine(self.currValue)

def OutputRoutine(self,value):
self.components.txtBox1.text = str(value)

def MainOutputRoutine(self,value):
value = value + 1

 

[Matt Nordhoff]

Hello,

I'm new to python, and PythonCard. In the code below, I'm trying to
create a member variable (self.currValue) of the class, then just pass
it to a simple function (MainOutputRoutine) to increment it. I thought
Python "passed by reference" all variables, but the member variable
doesn't seem to be incremented. If I make the function just increment
the member variable directly, without passing it in, it works fine?

In the code below, "self.currValue" stays at 5, and value evaluates to
1? Any insight would be appreciated...


class TestModel(model.Background):

def on_initialize(self,event):
self.currValue = 5

def on_startBtn_mouseClick(self, event):
self.MainOutputRoutine(self.currValue)
self.OutputRoutine(self.currValue)

def OutputRoutine(self,value):
self.components.txtBox1.text = str(value)

def MainOutputRoutine(self,value):
value = value + 1

That's not how Python works. When you call
"self.MainOutputRoutine(self.currValue)", in that method's scope, the
local name "value" points to the same object as self.currValue does.
When you do "value = value + 1", the local name "value" now points to a
different object. That has no bearing on self.currValue.

Err, I can't find a guide here. Um, read the language spec? I dunno.

However:

my_list = [1]
def function(l): .... l.append(2)
function(my_list)
my_list

[1, 2]

That's because function() is *mutating* the list; it's not changing what
the "l" name points to. It's calling the "append" method of the list
object, which changes said list object. If it were doing, say, "l = 42",
that would only rebind the function's local name "l":

my_list = [1]
def function(l): .... l = 42
function(my_list)
my_list

[1]

Note that strings and integers are immutable, so whenever you think
you're mutating them (e.g. "s.replace('a', 'b')" or "i += 1"), you're
actually getting a whole new, different object, with all that that implies.
--

 

[monkeyboy]

Hello,

I'm new to python, and PythonCard. In the code below, I'm trying to
create a member variable (self.currValue) of the class, then just pass
it to a simple function (MainOutputRoutine) to increment it. I thought
Python "passed by reference" all variables, but the member variable
doesn't seem to be incremented. If I make the function just increment
the member variable directly, without passing it in, it works fine?

In the code below, "self.currValue" stays at 5, and value evaluates to
1? Any insight would be appreciated...

class TestModel(model.Background):

def on_initialize(self,event):
self.currValue = 5

def on_startBtn_mouseClick(self, event):
self.MainOutputRoutine(self.currValue)
self.OutputRoutine(self.currValue)

def OutputRoutine(self,value):
self.components.txtBox1.text = str(value)

def MainOutputRoutine(self,value):
value = value + 1

That's not how Python works. When you call
"self.MainOutputRoutine(self.currValue)", in that method's scope, the
local name "value" points to the same object as self.currValue does.
When you do "value = value + 1", the local name "value" now points to a
different object. That has no bearing on self.currValue.

Err, I can't find a guide here. Um, read the language spec? I dunno.

However:

my_list = [1]
def function(l): ... l.append(2)
function(my_list)
my_list

[1, 2]

That's because function() is *mutating* the list; it's not changing what
the "l" name points to. It's calling the "append" method of the list
object, which changes said list object. If it were doing, say, "l = 42",
that would only rebind the function's local name "l":

my_list = [1]
def function(l): ... l = 42
function(my_list)
my_list

[1]

Note that strings and integers are immutable, so whenever you think
you're mutating them (e.g. "s.replace('a', 'b')" or "i += 1"), you're
actually getting a whole new, different object, with all that that implies.
--

Thank you, I haven't used python for a couple of years, and I didn't
recall that aspect of the language. I'll have to dig out my O'Reilly
book,