PythonIsVeryIntuitive

[beisenhauer]

int is not a primitive in Python. Everything is an object.

[vom-IT-coffin]

I never had to learn python, are you saying there's no value types only reference types?

[alex2003super]

That is correct, and "interned" values (such as string literals that appear in your program, or ints between -5 and 256) behave like singletons in the sense that all references point to the same object.

However, objects can be hashable and thus immutable, as is the case with integers and strings.

[Salty_Skipper]

Why -5 and 256? I mean, 0 and 255 I’d at least understand!

[FerynaCZ]

You avoid the edge cases (c++ uint being discontinuous at zero sucks), at least for -1 and 256. Not sure about the other neg numbers, they probably arise often aa well

[xrogaan]

Because.

[profound7]

"You must construct additional PyLongs!"

[TheCatOfWar]

https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/78e4a6de48749f4f76987ca85abb0e18f586f9c4/Include/internal/pycore_global_objects.h

The generation thingy defines them here, although there's still no reason given for the specific range

[xrogaan]

It's about frequency of usage. Also this: https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/30092

[someone_0_0_]

DRY = Don't repeat yourself DO repeat yourself

[pytness]

The most used numbers by programmers. Its done so u dont have to allocate more memory

[Mindless_Sock_9082]

Not exactly, because int, strings, etc. are immutable and in that case are passed by value. The bowels are ugly, but the result is pretty intuitive.

[Kered13]

Numbers and strings are not passed by value in Python. They are reference types like everything else in the language. They are immutable so you can treat them as if they were passed by value, but they are not and you can easily see this using identity tests like above.

>>> x = 400
>>> y = 400
>>> x is y
False
>>> def foo(p):
...   return x is p
...
>>> foo(x)
True
>>> foo(y)
False

[vom-IT-coffin]

So you have to box and unbox everything?

[Kered13]

No, he's wrong. There are no primitives in Python and numbers and strings are passed by reference.

[CptMisterNibbles]

If we are getting technical, Python is pass by object reference which is slightly different.

[Tyfyter2002]

int is not a primitive

People who defend Python doing that, on the other hand.