[Python-Dev] Short-circuiting iterators

Wed Dec 7 01:58:10 CET 2005

[Matthew F. Barnes] Perhaps it would be a useful addition to the
itertools
> module then?
>> itertools.interruptable(iterable)

Any real-world use cases or compelling contrived examples?
ISTM, that the code calling it.stop() would already be in position to
break-out of the iteration directly or set a termination flag. Instead
of:
 it = itertools.interruptable(iterable):
 for x in it:
 . . .
 if cond(x):
 it.stop()
Why not write:
 for x in iterable:
 . . .
 if cond(x):
 break
If needed, the for-loop can have an else-clause for any processing
needed in the event of interruption.
Raymond 