[Python-Dev] Should we move to replace re with regex? (original) (raw)

Steven D'Aprano steve at pearwood.info
Sat Aug 27 05:31:03 CEST 2011

Ben Finney wrote:

Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> writes:

Ben Finney wrote: "M.-A. Lemburg" <mal at egenix.com> writes:

No, you tell them: "If you want Unicode 6 semantics, use regex, if you're fine with Unicode 2.0/3.0 semantics, use re". What do we say, then, to those who are unaware of the different semantics between those versions of Unicode, and want regular expression to “just work” in Python?

To which document can we direct them to understand what semantics they want? Presumably, like all modules, both the re and the regex module will have their own individual pages in the library reference. My question is directed more to M-A Lemburg's passage above, and its implicit assumption that the user understand the changes between “Unicode 2.0/3.0 semantics” and “Unicode 6 semantics”, and how their own needs relate to those semantics. For programmers who know they want to follow Unicode conventions in Python, but don't know the distinction M-A Lemburg is drawing, to which document does he recommend we direct them?

I can only repeat my answer: the docs for the new regex module should include a discussion of the differences. If that requires summarising the differences that M-A Lemburg refers to, then so be it.

“The Unicode specification document in its various versions” isn't a feasible answer.

Presumably the Unicode spec will be the canonical source, but I agree that we should not expect people to read that in order to make a decision between re and regex.

-- Steven

More information about the Python-Dev mailing list