[Python-Dev] buffer('abc') == 'abc' is False ?! (original) (raw)

M.-A. Lemburg mal@lemburg.com
Wed, 16 Oct 2002 15:04:48 +0200

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Guido van Rossum wrote:

I was wondering whether this is an oversight or intended. Buffer objects can certainly be compared to strings on a byte-by-byte basis, so the compare result looks like a (long standing) bug to me.

I'd consider it a feature, designed to convey the subliminal message "the buffer type should be deprecated". :-)

Fine, but what alternative is there which meets the following requirements:

• signals "this data is binary data"
• compares just fine to strings
• gets accepted by all APIs which use the buffer interface to access the data
• has a C API which can be used in extensions
• is available in Python 2.1.x and up

(other than rolling my own mxBinary type...)

What I'd basically need is a type which simply wraps up any string data, plays nice with 8-bit strings and signals the binary nature of the content.

-- Marc-Andre Lemburg CEO eGenix.com Software GmbH

eGenix.com -- Makers of the Python mx Extensions: mxDateTime,mxODBC,... Python Consulting: http://www.egenix.com/ Python Software: http://www.egenix.com/files/python/

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