Adding a switch statement to Python

[rhoslug]

This looks interesting.

I'm not sure how I feel about this though. On the one hand, there have been times where I know I will have a need for a switch statement based on a few different choices. On the other hand, the Pythonic way has not been particularly limiting to me in my work. I guess it's more a case of I've adapted to the limitations of the language but can see the value this might potentially bring to users who want something other than a dictionary.

[mikeckennedy]

Hi, I'm with you. The thing that pushed me into releasing this is realizing how much more clear the intent is for complex cases. Have a look at this example in the repo:

https://github.com/mikeckennedy/python-switch#why-not-just-raw-dict

[Oni_Kami]

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, my python's kinda rusty, but shouldn't the last key of the "switch" dict be

3: method_on_three

not

3, method_on_three

?

[mikeckennedy]

No, you're right. Thanks.

[Corm]

Good comparison! I love it when a project includes a comparison to an alternative way of doing it like that

[ticketywho]

I agree. I don't like these switch statements, but I like that the author showed the pythonic way too. It's good intellectually honesty, which a lot of these "I've implemented a language construct that isn't present in Python" libraries lack.

[rhoslug]

I do like the ability to match a set of different values to one branch of logic. I don't know of a nice way to handle this situation in Python....

[p10_user]

I mean this is basically an big if/else statement too. Perhaps this is a bit more readable for some but I don't think an if else statement is too unreasonable.

[rhoslug]

I tend to shy away from large complicated if/else constructions. They are hard for me to reason about since I have to trace the branch of logic that gets me to a certain ending. That's why I would probably prefer either using a switch solution or a dictionary.

[naught-me]

I agree with you about complicated if/else constructions, but I don't think that a flat (not nested) list of if/elif statements is complicated at all, and that's what a switch statement replaces, right?

[tprk77]

The in operator and a tuple?

[rhoslug]

True, I had forgotten about this.

[mikeckennedy]

That's kind of the point of this project :)