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Docs: replace an esoteric Von Neumann mention #137598

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Docs: replace an esoteric Von Neumann mention
nedbat Aug 9, 2025
eaa2964
oops, don't need to edit topics.py
nedbat Aug 9, 2025
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8 changes: 2 additions & 6 deletions Doc/reference/datamodel.rst
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -16,9 +16,8 @@ Objects, values and types
single: data

:dfn:`Objects` are Python's abstraction for data. All data in a Python program
is represented by objects or by relations between objects. (In a sense, and in
conformance to Von Neumann's model of a "stored program computer", code is also
represented by objects.)
is represented by objects or by relations between objects. Even code is
represented by objects.
Comment on lines +19 to +20
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Code isn't represented by objects: the compiled bytecode, or the abstract tree, or the tokens are though. The previous sentence has "In a sense ... code is also represented by objects", which (by hedging) seems more accurate?

If the Von Neumann aside is to go, perhaps it makes more sense to bin the full sentence?:

Suggested change
is represented by objects or by relations between objects. Even code is
represented by objects.
is represented by objects or by relations between objects.

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I'd say for the first paragraph it's good enough to say code is represented by objects. It carries the point of the original sentence, to underscore how pervasive objects are in the Python world.


.. index::
pair: built-in function; id
Expand All @@ -29,9 +28,6 @@ represented by objects.)
single: mutable object
single: immutable object

.. XXX it *is* now possible in some cases to change an object's
type, under certain controlled conditions
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I removed this comment since it is now an actual footnote.

Every object has an identity, a type and a value. An object's *identity* never
changes once it has been created; you may think of it as the object's address in
memory. The :keyword:`is` operator compares the identity of two objects; the
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5 changes: 2 additions & 3 deletions Lib/pydoc_data/topics.py
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Expand Up @@ -6894,9 +6894,8 @@ class that has an "__rsub__()" method, "type(y).__rsub__(y, x)" is
*************************

*Objects* are Python’s abstraction for data. All data in a Python
program is represented by objects or by relations between objects. (In
a sense, and in conformance to Von Neumann’s model of a “stored
program computer”, code is also represented by objects.)
program is represented by objects or by relations between objects.
Even code is represented by objects.

Every object has an identity, a type and a value. An object’s
*identity* never changes once it has been created; you may think of it
Expand Down
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