this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2024
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Python allows programmers to pass additional arguments to functions via comments. Now armed with this knowledge head out and spread it to all code bases.

Feel free to use the code I wrote in your projects.

Link to the source code: https://github.com/raldone01/python_lessons_py/blob/main/lesson_0_comments.ipynb

Image transcription:

from lib import add

# Go ahead and change the comments.
# See how python uses them as arguments.

result = add()  # 1 2
print(result)
result = add()  # 3 4
print(result)
result = add()  # 3 4 5 20
print(result)

Output:

3
7
32
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[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Why would python even expose the current line number? What’s it useful for?

[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

On a serious note:

This feature is actually very useful. Libraries can use it create neat error messages. It is also needed when logging information to a file.

You should however never ever parse the source code and react to it differently.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 days ago

You underestimate the power of us, print debuggers.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Why wouldn't it? Lots of languages do. In C++ you have __LINE__.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 days ago

Because it doesn't seem like a useful feature. The only occasion I imagine this could be helpful is with logging to the console to track when the function breaks, but even then - still trivial to replace.