[Python-Dev] Deprecating undocumented, unused functions in difflib. (original) (raw)

Terry Reedy tjreedy at udel.edu
Wed Dec 1 21:23:03 CET 2010

Difflib.SequenceMatcher object currently get two feature attributes: self.isbjunk = junk.contains self.isbpopular = popular.contains

Tim Peters agrees that the junk and popular sets should be directly exposed and documented as part of the api, thereby making the functions redundant. The two functions are not currently documented (and should not be now). A google codesearch of 'isbjunk' and 'isbpopular' only returns hits in difflib.py itself (and its predecessor, ndiff.py).

It would be easiest to just remove the two lines above. Or should I define functions _xxx names that issue a deprecation warning and attach them as attributes to each object? (Defining instance methods would not be the same).

There is only one internal use of one of the two functions which is easily edited.

-- Terry Jan Reedy

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