Thursday, June 27, 2013

What is a scope for lambda?

Okay computer science students out there, riddle me this.
A scope is home for a function,
>>> def g(i):
>>>     def f():
>>>         return i
>>>     return f
>>> print [f() for f in (g(i) for i in xrange(3))]
[0, 1, 2]
but what is a scope for a lambda?
>>> print [f() for f in [lambda: i for i in xrange(3)]]
[2, 2, 2]
A scope is home for a generator,
>>> print [f() for f in (lambda: i for i in xrange(3))]
[0, 1, 2]
and a default parameter is a hack for a lack of a scope,
>>> print [f() for f in [lambda a=i: a for i in xrange(3)]]
[0, 1, 2]
but a new scope is home for a lambda.
>>> print [f() for f in ((lambda a=i: lambda: a)() for i in xrange(3))]
[0, 1, 2]

And while we're on the topic of weird Python hacks and weird comprehensions.
What the heck is this?
>>> foobar = [(1, 2, 3), (4, 5), (6, 7, 8, 9), (0, )]
>>> # foo are elements in bar which are elements in foobar
>>> [foo for bar in foobar for foo in bar]
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0]
Well this was really just an excuse to rock the new syntax highlighter.

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