5 ms·

Some interesting and useful syntax here! However... I’m also partial to this trick for grabbing just the first element of an array. family, = socket.peeradd

• masklinn 13y ago
  Right. I think it works better in Python — although I'm partial towards `[family] = socket.peeraddr` or adding parens as the comma is a bit hard to see — because it also asserts that the RHS is a single-item iterable (or however many items you have on the left-hand side: >>> [a] = range(1) >>> [a] = range(2) Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> ValueError: too many values to unpack and it works on any iterable (any object with #to_a in ruby).
• matsadler 13y ago
  (context: I'm the author) I do agree with you, but through some failing of my own I still quite enjoy that trick. I included it to highlight the syntax, but I'll add a note saying it's maybe not the best idea to actually use it.
  • garethadams 13y ago
    I often use it when I'm running through code in a console. I put it in production code once, but removed it when I realised the "# This comma is important" comment was longer than just using `.first`
• ottbot 13y ago
  It could be more readable if you use a placeholder variable family, _ = socket.peeraddr Which is more clear to me, but maybe not as much as just using .first
• Xylakant 13y ago
  The first,_ = list syntax also works when you're reading the two first items: first,second,_ = list
  • crymer11 13y ago
    As does `first, second = list.first(2)`.