[Python-Dev] Need a way to test for 8-bit-or-unicode-string (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido@python.org
Fri, 05 Oct 2001 11:20:30 -0400

Guido van Rossum wrote: > > if isinstance(x, str) or isinstance(x, unicode): > > is apparently too much typing.

Perhaps we could extend isinstance(). How about isinstance(x, str, unicode) or isinstance(x, (str, unicode)) This is a common problem not limited to string types. I often want to test if something is a tuple or a list for example.

You may be on to something. It certainly saves me inventing a new name! I'll think about it a bit more...

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)