[Python-Dev] Deprecating string exceptions (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido@python.org
Wed, 27 Mar 2002 13:08:26 -0500

http://python.org/sf/518846 reports that new-style classes cannot be used as exceptions. I think it is desirable that this is fixed, but I also believe that it conflicts with string exceptions.

Can you explain this conflict? Couldn't this be worked around by making an exception for strings?

So I would like to propose that string exceptions are deprecated for Python 2.3, in order to remove them in Python 2.4, simultaneously allowing arbitrary objects as exceptions.

I think string exceptions are used enough that we should deprecate them on a slower schedule.

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