[Python-Dev] PEP 215 redux: toward a simplified consensus? (original) (raw)

Barry A. Warsaw barry@zope.com
Mon, 25 Feb 2002 16:44:02 -0500

"SM" == Skip Montanaro <skip@pobox.com> writes:

SM> I'm still not at all fond of the $-string idea, but in the
SM> interests of completeness, perhaps using '$' as a binary
SM> operator (by analogy with '%' as a binary operator having
SM> nothing to do with modulo when the left arg is a string) would
SM> be appropriate.

I can't say whether it's a good thing to add this to the language or not. I tend to think that %(var)s is just fine from a Python programmer's point of view, and in the interest of TOOWTDI, we don't need anything else.

From a /non-programmer's/ point of view, %(var)s is way too error prone, and $-strings are an attempt at implementing a simple to explain, hard to get wrong, rule for thru-the-web supplied template strings. There's been no usability testing yet to know whether $-strings actually will be easier to use , but I've got plenty of anecdotal evidence that %-strings suck badly for useability by non-Python programmers.

Still, if $-strings are better for non-programmers, maybe they're better for programmers too. There's certainly evidence that translators get them wrong too. -Barry