What are the advantages of closures over pseudo-closures?

Question

I want to follow up on a question I asked yesterday. One of the answers I got gave this link, and the first answer there brings up what I'm going to ask about.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4020419/why-arent-JUMP_LINK__&&__python__&&__JUMP_LINK-nested-functions-called-closures

The poster explains what a closure is by comparing two versions of a function.

1.)
def make_printer(msg):
def printer():
print(msg)
return printer

2.)
def make_printer(msg):
def printer(msg=msg):
print(msg)
return printer

The first function is a true closure, because the inner function, called from outside later, will try to access a value that will be gone by then - or would be, if it wasn't for printer.__closure__.

The second version passes the value as a default-argument so that the function won't have to go for nonlocals.

Function-wise they be the same.

But if that's the case, what is the advantage of a genuine closure?

Answer 1

Let's do a test
Change the global variable after calling, and see what happens.

https://code.sololearn.com/cEG88XkY6Rvp/?ref=app
Test 1 result: seems same in this case.

Let me try editing the variable in the inner function

https://code.sololearn.com/chdG5r1uPf1y/?ref=app
Test 2 result: Still seems the same 🤷‍♂️

Answer 2

Aaaaaaah! 😅