[Python-Dev] what is happening with the regex module going into Python 3.3? (original) (raw)

"Martin v. Löwis" martin at v.loewis.de
Mon Jun 4 00:51:56 CEST 2012

That last statement basically suggests that something like regex would never be accepted until a CPython core developer was actually running into pain with the many flaws in the re module (especially when it comes to Unicode). I disagree with that.

Per the language summit, I think we need to just do it. Put it in as re and rename the existing re module to sre.

There are really places where "we" just doesn't work, even in a community project. "We" will never commit anything to revision control. Individual committers commit.

So if you want to commit it, go ahead - I think there is general approval for that. Take the praise when it works, and take the (likely) blame for when it fails in some significant way, and then work on fixing it.

The issue seems to be primarily one of "who is volunteering to do it?"

I don't think anybody is, or will be for the coming years. I wish I had trust into MRAB to stay around and work on this for the next ten years (and I think the author of the regex module really needs to commit for that timespan, see SRE's history), but I don't. So whoever commits the change now is in charge, and will either have to work hard on fixing the problems, or will be responsible for breaking Python 3 in a serious way.

That's why nobody volunteers.

Regards, Martin

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