Python

Aliasing
Copyright Software Carpentry 2010 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License See http://software-carpentry.org/license.html for more information.

An alias is a second name for a piece of data

Python

Aliasing

An alias is a second name for a piece of data Often easier (and more useful) than making a second copy

Python

Aliasing

An alias is a second name for a piece of data Often easier (and more useful) than making a second copy If the data is immutable, aliases don't matter

Python

Aliasing

An alias is a second name for a piece of data Often easier (and more useful) than making a second copy If the data is immutable, aliases don't matter Because the data can't change

Python

Aliasing

An alias is a second name for a piece of data Often easier (and more useful) than making a second copy If the data is immutable, aliases don't matter Because the data can't change But if data can change, aliases can result in a lot of hard-to-find bugs

Python

Aliasing

Aliasing happens whenever one variable's value is assigned to another variable

Python

Aliasing

Aliasing happens whenever one variable's value is assigned to another variable

first = 'isaac'

variable first

value 'isaac'

Python

Aliasing

Aliasing happens whenever one variable's value is assigned to another variable

first = 'isaac' second = first

variable first second

value 'isaac'

Python

Aliasing

Aliasing happens whenever one variable's value is assigned to another variable

first = 'isaac' second = first

But as we've already seen

variable first second value 'isaac'

Python

Aliasing

Aliasing happens whenever one variable's value is assigned to another variable

first = 'isaac' second = first

But as we've already seen

first = first + ' newton' variable first second value 'isaac' 'isaac newton'

Python

Aliasing

But lists are mutable

Python

Aliasing

But lists are mutable

first = ['isaac']

variable first

value

'isaac'

Python

Aliasing

But lists are mutable

first = ['isaac'] second = first

variable first second

value

'isaac'

Python

Aliasing

But lists are mutable

first = ['isaac'] second = first first = first.append('newton') print first

['isaac', 'newton']
variable first second 'isaac' 'newton' value

Python

Aliasing

But lists are mutable

first = ['isaac'] second = first first = first.append('newton') print first

['isaac', 'newton']
print second

['isaac', 'newton']

variable first second

value

'isaac'

'newton'

Python

Aliasing

But lists are mutable

first = ['isaac'] second = first first = first.append('newton') print first

['isaac', 'newton']
print second

['isaac', 'newton']

variable first

value

Didn't explicitly modify second

second 'isaac' 'newton'

Python

Aliasing

But lists are mutable

first = ['isaac'] second = first first = first.append('newton') print first

['isaac', 'newton']
print second

['isaac', 'newton']

variable first

value

Didn't explicitly modify second A side effect

Python Aliasing

second 'isaac' 'newton'

Example: use lists of lists to implement a 2D grid

Python

Aliasing

Example: use lists of lists to implement a 2D grid

3 5 7

7 5 3

5 6 2

8 3 4

2 6 5

4 3 8
Python Aliasing

Example: use lists of lists to implement a 2D grid grid

7 5 3 5 6 2 8 3 4 3 5 7

2 6 5

4 3 8
Python Aliasing

Example: use lists of lists to implement a 2D grid grid[0]

7 5 3 5 6 2 8 3 4 3 5 7

2 6 5

4 3 8
Python Aliasing

Example: use lists of lists to implement a 2D grid grid[0][1]

7 5 3 5 6 2 8 3 4 3 5 7

2 6 5

4 3 8
Python Aliasing

# Correct code grid = [] for x in range(N): temp = [] for y in range(N): temp.append(1) grid.append(temp)

Python

Aliasing

# Correct code grid = [] for x in range(N): temp = [] for y in range(N): temp.append(1) grid.append(temp)

Outer "spine" of structure

Python

Aliasing

# Correct code grid = [] for x in range(N): temp = [] for y in range(N): temp.append(1) grid.append(temp)

Add N sub-lists to outer list

Python

Aliasing

# Correct code grid = [] for x in range(N): temp = [] for y in range(N): temp.append(1) grid.append(temp)

Create a sublist of N 1's

Python

Aliasing

# Equivalent code grid = [] for x in range(N): grid.append([]) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

Python

Aliasing

# Equivalent code grid = [] for x in range(N): grid.append([]) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

Last element of outer list is the sublist currently being filled in

Python

Aliasing

# Incorrect code grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

Python

Aliasing

# Incorrect code grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

# Equivalent code grid = [] for x in range(N): grid.append([]) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

Python

Aliasing

# Incorrect code grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

Aren't meaningful variable names supposed to be a good thing?

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 0

grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

grid

EMPTY

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 0

grid

grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

EMPTY

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 0

grid

grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

EMPTY

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 0

grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

grid

EMPTY

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 0

grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

grid

EMPTY

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 1

grid

grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

EMPTY

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 1

grid

grid = [] EMPTY = [] for x in range(N): grid.append(EMPTY) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

EMPTY

You see the problem...

Python Aliasing

No Aliasing

first = [] second = []

Python

Aliasing

No Aliasing

Aliasing

first = [] second = []

first = [] second = first

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 0

grid = [] for x in range(N): grid.append([]) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

grid

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 0

grid = [] for x in range(N): grid.append([]) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

grid

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 0

grid

grid = [] for x in range(N): grid.append([]) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

Python

Aliasing

variable x

value 1

grid = [] for x in range(N): grid.append([]) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

grid

1
Python

1
Aliasing

variable x

value 1

grid

grid = [] for x in range(N): grid.append([]) for y in range(N): grid[-1].append(1)

1
Python

1
Aliasing

If aliasing can cause bugs, why allow it?

Python

Aliasing

If aliasing can cause bugs, why allow it? 1. Some languages don't

Python

Aliasing

If aliasing can cause bugs, why allow it? 1. Some languages don't Or at least appear not to

Python

Aliasing

If aliasing can cause bugs, why allow it? 1. Some languages don't Or at least appear not to 2. Aliasing a million-element list is more efficient than copying it

Python

Aliasing

If aliasing can cause bugs, why allow it? 1. Some languages don't Or at least appear not to 2. Aliasing a million-element list is more efficient than copying it 3. Sometimes really do want to update a structure in place

Python

Aliasing

created by

Greg Wilson
October 2010

Copyright Software Carpentry 2010 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License See http://software-carpentry.org/license.html for more information.