Python function arguments are dictionaries?

johnMG · 07-24-2004, 01:29 PM

I'm learning Python and reading the diveintopython book (which is *excellent* I might add).

Anyhow, on page 38, when referring to function argument(s)(?) the authors mention, "This looks totally whacked until you realize that arguments are simply a dictionary."

Could someone please explain to me what that means? Is each individual argument a dictionary under the covers, or is the entire group of args a dictionary?

I'm guessing that they're talking about how function args are dealt with internal to the Python interpreter, but any insight on this subject is appreciated.

The example the book uses is

def info(object, spacing=10, collapse=1):
[...snip...]

and then calling it like so:

info(odbchelper)
info(odbchelper, 12)
info(odbchelper, collapse=0)
info(spacing=15, object=odbchelper)

NeoAndersn007 · 07-24-2004, 06:29 PM

Ok I dont have the book but my best guest is that the author is saying that arguments like for example
def DoStuff(Stuff="being weird", Do="Whenever", AnotherArg)
are like dictionarys, they have a key and a value and you can change them in any order by using the Variable and an equals sign. So that

Code:

DoStuff("being weird", AnotherArg="other random arg", Do="Now")

is the same as

Code:

Args = {
    Stuff:"being weird",
    AnotherArg:"other random arg",
    Do:"Now"}
DoStuff(Args)

You don't really need to understand it its just trying to give you a better (or worse) perspective of using Arguments

EDIT: also note that when using the Python C API all the arguments are passed as tuples