Re:Ask HN: Why Python over Ruby?
by wildjim on Wednesday July 01, 2009 @10:55AM
(#682728)
Re: "5" 2 == "55" vs. 2 * "5" == Exception*
You need to remember that EVERYTHING is an object, there are no basic/literal types at all; in this case, "5" is really just syntactic sugar for creating a "5" String object, 2 is syntactic sugar for creating the "2" Integer (Number?) object, and the " * " operator is syntactic sugar for the " * " method of the "5" String object == ' "5".times(2) ' (which is similar to Perl's ' "5" x 2 ' construct).
The String class supports a " * " method which creates n copies of it's string value, and concat's them together into a new String object, but the Integer class does not.
Many "basic" objects have explicit conversion methods, but will also frequently support implicit conversion where it makes sense.
Re:Ask HN: Why Python over Ruby?
by akho on Tuesday July 14, 2009 @03:33PM
(#704427)
Why does it overload "*" on the right, but not on the left side of the string? Python has __rmult__, and it works. Please do not try to make language warts look better by spilling a bucket of architectural-astronauty crap.
You need to remember that EVERYTHING is an object, there are no basic/literal types at all; in this case, "5" is really just syntactic sugar for creating a "5" String object, 2 is syntactic sugar for creating the "2" Integer (Number?) object, and the " * " operator is syntactic sugar for the " * " method of the "5" String object == ' "5".times(2) ' (which is similar to Perl's ' "5" x 2 ' construct).
The String class supports a " * " method which creates n copies of it's string value, and concat's them together into a new String object, but the Integer class does not.
Many "basic" objects have explicit conversion methods, but will also frequently support implicit conversion where it makes sense.