Python Oddities and Peculiarities

These are snippets of Python code with results that you may find surprising, especially if you're new to Python.

Categories

• gotchas: these sometimes bite new Python programmers. The most useful sort of oddity to discuss.
  • Example: mutable default function arguments
• curiosities: a peculiarity that's unexpected, but not something you'd care about day-to-day
  • Example: -5 to 256 are always identical but other numbers aren't
• absurdities: absurd code, just for the fun of it
  • example: {*()} vs. set()