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

Paul Prescod paul@prescod.net
Tue, 26 Feb 2002 10:21:08 -0800

"Fred L. Drake, Jr." wrote:

Paul Prescod writes: > The major reason for doing it at > compile time (for me) is that you can have a nice syntax that doesn't > evolve modulus-ing (or dividing) an otherwise useless vars() or locals() > dictionary. Which has everything to do with your usage. I almost never use % with locals() or vars(), so I don't share that motivation.

Even so you have to modulus a tuple or a variable. That doesn't make any more sense for a newbie and is just as inconvenient for the script kiddie (which is often me!), compared to languages like Perl, Ruby, Tcl, sh etc.

Python's interpolation syntax is: more verbose, more complicated, less secure and also more powerful. I have no problem with keeping the power but I'd like something less verbose and less complicated alongside it.

I'm much more likely to build a dict specifically for the purpose, which includes computed values, or have something already created which includes this usage as part of the larger picture.

I don't believe that this feature should be taken away from you. But I don't see how it relates to the PEP because what you want to do is already doable. PEP 215 is about making things easier for simple cases. If you have new, high-end needs for runtime string interpolation then PEP 215 probably won't address them.

Paul Prescod