Misleading line in documentation

[J-Arun-Mani]

BPO	40846
Nosy	@DimitrisJim, @remilapeyre, @J-Arun-Mani
PRs	bpo-40846: Removed ambiguity in definition of parameters #20602 bpo-40846: Clarified definition of parameters #20603

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2020-06-02.18:23:09.969>
labels = ['docs']
title = 'Misleading line in documentation'
updated_at = <Date 2020-06-03.08:43:18.178>
user = 'https://github.com/J-Arun-Mani'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2020-06-03.08:43:18.178>
actor = 'J Arun Mani'
assignee = 'docs@python'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['Documentation']
creation = <Date 2020-06-02.18:23:09.969>
creator = 'J Arun Mani'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 40846
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 4.0
messages = ['370616', '370622', '370624', '370647']
nosy_count = 4.0
nosy_names = ['docs@python', 'Jim Fasarakis-Hilliard', 'remi.lapeyre', 'J Arun Mani']
pr_nums = ['20602', '20603']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = 'patch review'
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = None
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue40846'
versions = []

[J-Arun-Mani]

Hi.

In docs : https://docs.python.org/3/faq/programming.html#faq-argument-vs-parameter it says "Parameters define what types of arguments a function can accept."
This is not true. Python's functions do not impose any type checking or raise error when the argument's type is not matching it's type hint. Please change the line to a better one. Maybe "Parameters define the names that will hold the supplied arguments."

Thanks ^^

[remilapeyre]

Hi, thanks for pointing this out.

I think "type" here is not about the type of the object but whether it is:

• positional-only
• positional or keyword
• variadic positional
• keyword-only
• variadic keyword

The wording could certainly be improved as it is currently unclear. Could you make a suggestion and open a PR?

[DimitrisJim]

A simple substitution of 'types' with 'kind' should do it. This aligns with the terminology [1] used in the glossary.

[1] https://docs.python.org/3/glossary.html#term-parameter

[J-Arun-Mani]

Hi. Thanks for your follow-up. I created a PR, since I signed CLA today, the PR has some labels indicating it. :p
Thanks

[iritkatriel]

@arun-mani-j Would you like to complete this as per the review comment in #20602 (comment) ?

[arun-mani-j]

@iritkatriel I have made a PR #94282 please check if it needs any modification :)