[$] Python and hashing None

Post Syndicated from original https://lwn.net/Articles/916204/

The recent discussion of a proposed change to the Python language—the usual
fare on the
language’s Ideas
forum
—was interesting, somewhat less for the actual feature under
discussion than
for the other issues raised. The change itself is a minor, convenience
feature that would provide a reproducible iteration order for certain
kinds of sets between
separate
invocations of the interpreter. That is a pretty limited use case, and one
that could perhaps be fulfilled in other ways, but the discussion also
highlighted some
potentially worrying trends in the way that feature ideas are handled in
the Python community.