PEP 448: Updates from Neil Girdhar.

pep-0448.txt

@@ -16,30 +16,22 @@ Abstract
 ========
 
 This PEP proposes extended usages of the ``*`` iterable unpacking
-operator to allow unpacking in more positions, an arbitrary number of
-times, and in several additional circumstances.
+operator and ``**`` dictionary unpacking operator
+to allow unpacking in more positions, an arbitrary number of
+times, and in additional circumstances.  Specifically
+in function calls, in comprehensions and generator expressions,
+and in displays.
 
-Specifically:
-
-Arbitrarily positioned unpacking operators::
+Function calls are proposed to support an arbitrary number of
+unpackings rather than just one::
 
     >>> print(*[1], *[2], 3)
     1 2 3
     >>> dict(**{'x': 1}, y=2, **{'z': 3})
     {'x': 1, 'y': 2, 'z': 3}
 
-Function calls currently have the restriction that keyword arguments
-must follow positional arguments and ``**`` unpackings must additionally
-follow ``*`` unpackings.  Because of the new levity for ``*`` and ``**``
-unpackings, it may be advisable to lift some or all of these
-restrictions.
-
-As currently, if an argument is given multiple times - such as a
-positional argument given both positionally and by keyword - a
-TypeError is raised.
-
-Unpacking is proposed to be allowed inside tuples, lists, sets,
-dictionaries and comprehensions::
+Unpacking is proposed to be allowed inside tuple, list, set,
+and dictionary displays::
 
     >>> *range(4), 4
     (0, 1, 2, 3, 4)
@@ -50,10 +42,25 @@ dictionaries and comprehensions::
     >>> {'x': 1, **{'y': 2}}
     {'x': 1, 'y': 2}
 
+In sets and dictionaries, this provides a concise overriding
+notation::
+
+    >>> {'x': 1, **{'x': 2}}
+    {'x': 2}
+
+    >>> {**{'x': 2}, 'x': 1}
+    {'x': 1}
+
+Unpacking is proposed to be allowed inside list, set,
+and dictionary comprehensions::
+
     >>> ranges = [range(i) for i in range(5)]
     >>> [*item for item in ranges]
     [0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 2, 0, 1, 2, 3]
 
+    >>> {*item for item in ranges}
+    {0, 1, 2, 3}
+
 
 Rationale
 =========
@@ -124,38 +131,29 @@ Other uses are possible, but expected to occur rarely.
 Specification
 =============
 
-Function calls may accept an unbound number of ``*`` and ``**``
+Function calls may accept an unbounded number of ``*`` and ``**``
 unpackings.  There will be no restriction of the order of positional
 arguments with relation to ``*`` unpackings nor any restriction of the
 order of keyword arguments with relation to ``**`` unpackings.
 
 Function calls currently have the restriction that keyword arguments
 must follow positional arguments and ``**`` unpackings must additionally
-follow ``*`` unpackings.  Because of the new levity for ``*`` and ``**``
-unpackings, it may be advisable to list some or all of these
-restrictions.
+follow ``*`` unpackings.
 
-As currently, if an argument is given multiple times - such as a
-positional argument given both positionally and by keyword - a
-TypeError is raised.
+Currently, if an argument is given multiple times — such as a
+positional argument given both positionally and by keyword — a
+``TypeError`` is raised.  This remains true for duplicate arguments
+provided through multiple keyword argument unpackings,
+e.g. ``f(**{'x': 2}, **{'x': 3})``.
 
-If the restrictions are kept, a function call will look like this::
+A function looks like this::
 
-	function(
-	    argument or *args, argument or *args, ...,
-	    kwargument or *args, kwargument or *args, ...,
-	    kwargument or **kwargs, kwargument or **kwargs, ...
-	)
-
-If they are removed completely, a function call will look like this::
-    
     function(
-        argument or keyword_argument or *args or **kwargs,
-        argument or keyword_argument or *args or **kwargs,
-        ...
+        argument or *args, argument or *args, ...,
+        kwargument or *args, kwargument or *args, ...,
+        kwargument or **kwargs, kwargument or **kwargs, ...
     )
 
-
 Tuples, lists, sets and dictionaries will allow unpacking.  This will
 act as if the elements from unpacked items were inserted in order at
 the site of unpacking, much as happens in unpacking in a function-call.
@@ -168,7 +166,7 @@ Comprehensions, by simple extension, will support unpacking.  As before,
 dictionaries require ``**`` unpacking, all the others require ``*``
 unpacking and key priorities are unchanged.
 
-Examples include::
+For example::
 
     {*[1, 2, 3], 4, 5, *{6, 7, 8}}
 
@@ -178,45 +176,30 @@ Examples include::
 
     {**locals(), "override": None}
 
+However, ``f(*x for x in it)`` and ``f(**x for x in it)`` continue
+to raise SyntaxError.
+
 
 Disadvantages
 =============
 
-If the current restrictions for function call arguments (keyword
-arguments must follow positional arguments and ``**`` unpackings must
-additionally follow ``*`` unpackings) are kept, the allowable orders
-for arguments in a function call is more complicated than before.
+The allowable orders for arguments in a function call is more
+complicated than before.
 The simplest explanation for the rules may be "positional arguments
-come first and keyword arguments follow, but ``*`` unpackings are
-allowed after keyword arguments".
+come first and keyword arguments follow, but iterable unpackings are
+allowed after keyword arguments" or "iterable arguments precede
+all keyword arguments and keyword argument unpackings, and iterable
+argument unpackings precede all keyword argument unpackings".
 
-If the current restrictions are lifted, there are no obvious gains to
-code as the only new orders that are allowed look silly: ``f(a, e=e,
-d=d, b, c)`` being a simpler example.
-
-
-Whilst ``*elements, = iterable`` causes ``elements`` to be a list,
+While ``*elements, = iterable`` causes ``elements`` to be a list,
 ``elements = *iterable,`` causes ``elements`` to be a tuple.  The
-reason for this may not be obvious at first glance and may confuse
-people unfamiliar with the construct.
+reason for this may confuse people unfamiliar with the construct.
 
 
 Implementation
 ==============
 
-An implementation for an old version of Python 3 is found at Issue
-2292 on bug tracker [1]_, although several changes should be made:
-
-- It has yet to be updated to the most recent Python version
-
-- It features a now redundant replacement for "yield from" which
-  should be removed
-
-- It also loses support for calling function with keyword arguments before
-  positional arguments, which is an unnecessary backwards-incompatible change
-
-- If the restrictions on the order of arguments in a function call are
-  partially or fully lifted, they would need to be included
+An implementation for Python 3.5 is found at Issue 2292 on bug tracker [1]_.
 
 
 References