First, a definition:

constant: Any variable whose value will be exactly the same and never change every time the program runs. (I don’t know if this term should apply to variables that are supposed to be initialized by data files that come with the software package.)

In Python, I used to think it was stupid to always write a main function. Class and function definitions are all just variable assignments, so how you would you decide what does and does not go inside the main function? Then I realized the main function is there to keep variables local. Classes and functions are usually constants, which don’t need to be local. The main function allows us to confine all stateful variables to a specific scope without polluting the global namespace.

Note that Lua does not have as great a need for a main function, because a Lua variable does not go into scope until after its declaration. If you simply use a comment to separate your constants from your main program, that would have a similar effect to a main function. Python, on the other hand, hoists its variables, so any global variable is in scope for the entire file, even if you don’t assign to it until near the end of that file.

Given all that, is it a good idea to nest functions to cut down parameter lists? When I don’t use a main function, and I need to repeat some code, I will want to write a function, and I don’t want to pass an argument that doesn’t change within the context where the code is repeated. But would that make functions more cryptic?

In a language like Go or Ruby, it is generally more convenient to put all functions at the top level. This is even more true for languages that don’t support closures. In such languages, we should pass all stateful data as arguments to the functions that need them.

In Python and Lua, a nested function looks basically the same as a top level function. I should note that closures are not constant, because they carry references to upvalues. Here are the arguments against using nested functions:

1. If we don’t nest, we can factor more code into the constant portion of the program. Actually, each function has its own state (while it’s running), and it’s easier to understand the program state when it’s broken up into pieces.
2. If we nest, all functions would end up nested inside main(), almost defeating the purpose of that function.

At present, I feel these arguments outweigh the benefit of short parameter lists. We probably should not nest a function unless we really need a closure.

In Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, a book about Scheme, in section 1.1.8, the authors recommend nesting functions. Aside from the reasons I’ve already discussed, they also cite the problem of namespace packaging. Most languages have their own features for protecting namespaces, so it’s usually not a big problem. I also suspect that since functional programmers go out of their way to avoid modifying state, the dichotomy between constants and other variables might not be as big of a deal to them.