text_combined: olivier verdier ljfmkgfgmailcom 26032008 nick coghlan wrote think come across keyword didnt know language learning id look find means yes doesnt look like keyword looks like letter greek alphabet first time came across lambda looked definition variable lambda whole program wondered strange syntax variable xy xy lambda calculus well established field mathematics perfectly valid name construct university sweden lambda calculus never taught neither pure applied math part course computer science applied linguistics word lambda however used place eigenvalue wave length parameter lamé coefficient many courses dont use use named function instead even pleasure read name choose tell reader function even attach docstring make really obvious dont use lambda never ever use people use talking beginners front code lambda used also talking beginner writing lambda 3 getting weird syntax error message thought upcoming python 3000 would good opportunity change name since python beginners newcommers reading mailing list dont think get lot support long time lambda functionality wasnt going exist py3k certainly isnt going get enough care attention warrant guido expending mental energy needed arbitrarily choose new name anyone else going code docs changing python beginners newcomers steered completely clear anonymous functions anyway cant lambda used place im teaching python scientific computing dont teach lambda tell students never use name lambda variable also agree idea lambda construct rather use keyword free syntax like x 3x something kind would gorgeous sorry posted wrong mailing list aware pythonideas mailing list sure get messages well thanks responses olivier thu 07 aug 2008 024055 0100 python3000 lambda