Why can't I use a starred expression?

Question

My code

$ python
Python 3.5.2 |Continuum Analytics, Inc.| (default, Jul  2 2016, 17:53:06) 
[GCC 4.4.7 20120313 (Red Hat 4.4.7-1)] on linux
Type \"help\", \         


        

Answer 1

My question, why?

Because your python syntax doesn't allow that. It's defined that way, so there's no real "why".

also, it's unnecessary.

"%d %d" % a

would work.

So, you'd need to convert your expansion to a tuple – and the right way of doing that would be, as pointed out by Lafexlos, be

"%d %d" % (*a,)