New submission from bombs :
https://docs.python.org/3/c-api/intro.html#reference-count-details
When I read that section of the docs first time, I found it hard to grasp what
transferring of ownership is, which is an important and repeating concept
throughout the docs. Some explanations were confusing. For example,
> When a function passes ownership of a reference on to its caller, the
> caller is said to receive a new reference
This part tries to explain what is to receive a new reference, in terms of
passing ownership, when readers have no ideas of what transferring of ownership
is. I think it is kind of a circular definition fallacy.
I think this section should've explained transferring of ownership, a high
level concept, in terms of reference count changes, which are concrete
operations.
(original version)
When a function passes ownership of a reference on to its caller, the caller is
said to receive a new reference. When no ownership is transferred, the caller
is said to borrow the reference. Nothing needs to be done for a borrowed
reference.
Conversely, when a calling function passes in a reference to an object, there
are two possibilities: the function steals a reference to the object, or it
does not. Stealing a reference means that when you pass a reference to a
function, that function assumes that it now owns that reference, and you are
not responsible for it any longer.
(revision)
When a function returns an object and effectively increases the reference count
of it, the function is said to give ownership of a new reference to its caller.
When a function returns an object without changing the reference count of it,
the caller is said to borrow the reference. Nothing needs to be done for a
borrowed reference.
Conversely, if a function decreases the reference count of an object, it is
said to steal the ownership of the reference from its owner. Stealing a
reference means that when you pass a reference to a stealing function, that
function assumes that it now owns that reference, and you are not responsible
for it any longer.
--
assignee: docs@python
components: Documentation
messages: 331946
nosy: bluewhale8202, docs@python
priority: normal
severity: normal
status: open
title: Docs on reference count detail. enhancement.
type: enhancement
versions: Python 3.8
___
Python tracker
<https://bugs.python.org/issue35514>
___
___
Python-bugs-list mailing list
Unsubscribe:
https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-bugs-list/archive%40mail-archive.com
