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

It's because:

>>> '%d %d' % (*a)

Can be just:

>>> '%d %d' %a

Of course then able to do:

>>> '%d %d' % (*a,)

But then:

>>> (*a,)==a
True
>>> 

Or you can do:

>>> '%d %d' % [*a]

But then:

>>> [*a]
[1, 2]
>>> a
(1, 2)
>>> 

So:

>>> tuple([*a])==a
True