How to represent alternative and sequential tasks?

Question

I am experimenting with hierarchical task planning (in python) and I would like to have functions which return lists of tasks. I need to differentiate between alternative paths and sequential tasks. My current approach is to return a list of lists of tasks, e.g.:

def travel():
 return [ [call_yellow_cab, ride_yellow_cab, pay_driver],
 [call_limousine, ride_limousine, pay_driver] ]

The sequential tasks would be call.., ride.., pay_driver. The first and second lists would represent alternative task sequences (cab or limousine).

As 'Explicit is better than implicit' according to 'The Zen of Python' I am curious if there is a more explicit way to differentiate between the alternative tasklists and the sequential tasks within. Or is my approach not that bad as 'Simple is better than complex.' ?

• jonrsharpe: I think your current list-of-lists approach (outer list holds paths, inner lists hold tasks) is fine. You could make it slightly more explicit by using a set (unordered, suggesting equal alternatives) of tuples (ordered, suggesting a strict sequence), but that might be too subtle!
• jonrsharpe: (it would also require your tasks to be hashable)

Answer 1

I find that naming intermediate results often provides semantic clarity to the humans reading it later, even if it doesn't change the end result. Like focusing a lens, sometimes the proper point is easiest to see by taking it to extremes then backing off. The extreme version of explicitness is:

def travel():
 yellow_cab_sequence = [call_yellow_cab, ride_yellow_cab, pay_driver]
 limousine_sequence = [call_limousine, ride_limousine, pay_driver]
 alternatives = [yellow_cab_sequence, limousine_sequence]
 return alternatives

This makes it abundantly explicit you are returning alternative sequences, although I would probably back off from this point a little and merge the last two lines. It also makes it easy to see opportunities to create function calls to reduce duplication or better separate abstraction levels, perhaps yellow_cab_sequence() or even ground_transportation_sequence("yellow cab").

You could also add clarity by choosing a name for the function such as travel_alternatives.

On the other hand, if your code truly stays as simple as your example, it's clear enough as-is. Just keep the technique in mind as the complexity grows of explicitly naming intermediate results or splitting them into functions.