Revise generator-related Glossary entries

[jjposner]

BPO	8012
Nosy	@birkenfeld
Files	glossary.patch: Patch file for glossary.rst

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/birkenfeld'
closed_at = <Date 2010-04-02.09:12:36.406>
created_at = <Date 2010-02-24.16:15:00.574>
labels = ['docs']
title = 'Revise generator-related Glossary entries'
updated_at = <Date 2010-04-02.22:15:19.871>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/jjposner'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2010-04-02.22:15:19.871>
actor = 'jjposner'
assignee = 'georg.brandl'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2010-04-02.09:12:36.406>
closer = 'georg.brandl'
components = ['Documentation']
creation = <Date 2010-02-24.16:15:00.574>
creator = 'jjposner'
dependencies = []
files = ['16358']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 8012
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 5.0
messages = ['100042', '102148', '102187', '102189', '102207']
nosy_count = 2.0
nosy_names = ['georg.brandl', 'jjposner']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = None
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = None
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue8012'
versions = ['Python 3.1', 'Python 2.7']

[jjposner]

Currently, the glossary contains two entries, for "generator" and "generator expression". The accompanying patch changes this to three entries: "generator", "generator function", and "generator expression", and cleans up the relationships:

• generator function returns generator
• generator expression returns generator

[birkenfeld]

I think this patch is not correct: a "generator" really is the same as "generator function". Both generators and genexps return an iterator; I've fixed that in r79587.

[jjposner]

Georg, your change (r79587) makes this the main definition:

generator
A function which returns an iterator.

I'm concerned that this definition does not fit well with the occurrence of "generator object" in the following:

Python 2.6.5 (r265:79096, Mar 19 2010, 21:48:26) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> obj1 = (x for x in [1,2])
>>> def gfunc():
...     count = 0
...     while True:
...             count += 1
...             yield count
...
>>> obj2 = gfunc()
>>> obj1
<generator object <genexpr> at 0x00CC6378>
>>> obj2
<generator object gfunc at 0x00CC6328>
>>>

My patch attempted to make "generator" be the same as "generator object" in the above.

[birkenfeld]

Well, the object returned is "just" an iterator (which happens to be implemented by a generator-iterator). I wouldn't be so concerned about the repr() of the it.

If you look at the generator PEP, number 255, it says:

"""Note that when the intent is clear from context, the unqualified name
"generator" may be used to refer either to a generator-function or a
generator-iterator."""

My experience is that most people use "generator" to mean the actual function. The returned object is mostly called iterator.

[jjposner]

Fair enough, Georg. Case closed.