[High Scores]: Improve Test Cases / Exercise for Mutability Discussions

I just did this exercise in php and python and I think that the Python version would require some improvement. I would like to discuss if it makes sense and eventually contribute via PR.

explanations

When you jump in the exercise, the explanation are very small. the user faces 4 functions and without looking at the test I would have never understood what the last were about (https://github.com/exercism/python/blob/main/exercises/practice/high-scores/high_scores.py).

def latest(scores):
    pass

def personal_best(scores):
    pass

def personal_top_three(scores):
    pass

def latest_after_top_three(scores):
    pass

def scores_after_top_three(scores):
    pass

In some exercises there is a complete description of the tasks and in other the function objective is described in the docstring (or bot). Would it make sens to add this for this exercise?

latest_after_top_three and scores_after_top_three

I think these 2 functions are perfectly useless in Python. I actually validated the tests (https://github.com/exercism/python/blob/79515ffbee47c1cff2d625c363592b3d73357513/exercises/practice/high-scores/high_scores_test.py#L50) with the following:

def latest_after_top_three(scores):
    return latest(scores)

def scores_after_top_three(scores):
    return scores

From what I did in php I think that these function reflect the C like behavior where passing scores by reference in the latest or personal-top-three function could have altered the initial scores list.

So instead of having these functions, I think it would make more sense to test the scores variable after running personnal_top_three.

let me know what you think and more importantly let me know if I’lm wrong.

PS: As mentioned at the top of the issue I’m happy to contribute

[BethanyG]

Closing, as #3013 and #3016 are merged.

[12rambau]

I think this exercise could be super useful for mutability, unfortunately, I’m swamped in webinars for work and preparation is so much time-consuming…

Thanks a lot for your PR and I agree we should leave it open, at some point I’ll have time to breath and work a PR for this exercice!