Mutability Announcements

Objects

• Objects represent information

• They consist of data and behavior, bundled together to create abstractions
• Objects can represent things, but also properties, interactions, & processes
• A type of object is called a class; classes are first-class values in Python
• Object-oriented programming:
Objects
• A metaphor for organizing large programs
• Special syntax that can improve the composition of programs
• In Python, every value is an object
• All objects have attributes
• A lot of data manipulation happens through object methods
(Demo) • Functions do one thing; objects do many related things

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 Representing Strings: the ASCII Standard
American Standard Code for Information Interchange

"Bell" (\a) "Line feed" (\n)

0 0 0

8 rows: 3 bits
0 0 1
0 1 0

Example: Strings 0 1 1
1 0 0
1 0 1
1 1 0
1 1 1

16 columns: 4 bits

• Layout was chosen to support sorting by character code

• Rows indexed 2-5 are a useful 6-bit (64 element) subset
(Demo) • Control characters were designed for transmission
(Demo)
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Representing Strings: the Unicode Standard

• 137,994 characters in Unicode 12.1

• 150 scripts (organized)
• Enumeration of character properties,
such as case
• Supports bidirectional display order
• A canonical name for every character Mutation Operations

http://ian-albert.com/unicode_chart/unichart-chinese.jpg

'⚅' '♪'
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A

DIE FACE-6

EIGHTH NOTE (Demo)

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Some Objects Can Change Mutation Can Happen Within a Function Call

[Demo] A function can change the value of any object in its scope

First example in the course of an object changing state >>> four = [1, 2, 3, 4] def mystery(s): or def mystery(s):
>>> len(four) s.pop() s[2:] = []
The same object can change in value throughout the course of computation 4 s.pop()
>>> mystery(four)

👶
👧
👩
👵
jessica >>> len(four)
same_person 2

Unicode
OLDER character
WOMAN
BABY
GIRL name >>> four = [1, 2, 3, 4] def another_mystery():
WOMAN
>>> len(four) four.pop()
4 four.pop()
All names that refer to the same object are affected by a mutation >>> another_mystery() # No arguments!
>>> len(four)
Only objects of mutable types can change: lists & dictionaries 2

{Demo}

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pythontutor.com/composingprograms.html#code=def%20mystery%28s%29%3A%0A%20%20%20%20s.pop%28%29%0A%20%20%20%20s.pop%28%29%0A%0Afour%20%3D%20[1,%202,%203,%204]%0Amystery%28four%29&mode=display&origin=composingprograms.js&cumulative=true&py=3&rawInputLstJSON=[]&curInstr=0

Tuples are Immutable Sequences

Immutable values are protected from mutation

>>> turtle = (1, 2, 3) >>> turtle = [1, 2, 3]

>>> ooze() >>> ooze()
>>> turtle >>> turtle
(1, 2, 3) ['Anything could be inside!']

The value of an expression can change because of changes in names or objects

Tuples
>>> x = 2 >>> x = [1, 2]
>>> x + x >>> x + x
4 [1, 2, 1, 2]
Name change: Object mutation:
>>> x = 3 >>> x.append(3)
>>> x + x >>> x + x
6 [1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3]

An immutable sequence may still change if it contains a mutable value as an element

>>> s = ([1, 2], 3) >>> s = ([1, 2], 3)

(Demo) >>> s[0] = 4 >>> s[0][0] = 4
ERROR >>> s
([4, 2], 3)
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 Sameness and Change
• As long as we never modify objects, a compound object is just the totality of its pieces

• A rational number is just its numerator and denominator

• This view is no longer valid in the presence of change

• A compound data object has an "identity" in addition to the pieces of which it is composed

• A list is still "the same" list even if we change its contents

Mutation • Conversely, we could have two lists that happen to have the same contents, but are different

>>> a = [10] >>> a = [10]

>>> b = a >>> b = [10]
>>> a == b >>> a == b
True True
>>> a.append(20) >>> b.append(20)
>>> a >>> a
[10, 20] [10]
>>> b >>> b
[10, 20] [10, 20]
>>> a == b >>> a == b
True False
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Identity Operators Mutable Default Arguments are Dangerous

Identity A default argument value is part of a function value, not generated by a call

<exp0> is <exp1> >>> def f(s=[]):

... s.append(3)
evaluates to True if both <exp0> and <exp1> evaluate to the same object ... return len(s)
...
>>> f()
Equality 1
>>> f()
<exp0> == <exp1> 2 Each time the function
>>> f() is called, s is bound
3 to the same value!
evaluates to True if both <exp0> and <exp1> evaluate to equal values

Identical objects are always equal values

(Demo)

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pythontutor.com/composingprograms.html#code=def%20f%28s%3D[]%29%3A%0A%20%20%20%20s.append%283%29%0A%20%20%20%20return%20len%28s%29%0A%20%20%20%20%0Af%28%29%0Af%28%29%0Af%28%29&mode=display&origin=composingprograms.js&cumulative=true&py=3&rawInputLstJSON=[]&curInstr=0
 A Function with Behavior That Varies Over Time

Let's model a bank account that has a balance of $100

In a (mutable) list
referenced in the parent
>>> withdraw = make_withdraw_list(100) frame of the function

Argument:
Return value: >>> withdraw(25) amount to withdraw
Mutable Functions remaining balance 75

>>> withdraw(25) Second withdrawal of

Different 50 the same amount
return value!
>>> withdraw(60)
'Insufficient funds'

>>> withdraw(15) Where's this balance

35 stored?

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Mutable Values & Persistent Local State

It changes the contents

of the b list

withdraw doesn't
reassign any name
within the parent Name bound
outside of
withdraw def

Element
assignment
changes a list

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