[Python-Dev] Replacement for print in Python 3.0 (original) (raw)

Bill Janssen janssen at parc.com
Thu Sep 1 22:30:14 CEST 2005

I don't use "print" myself much, but for the occasional 3-line script. But I think the user-friendliness of it is a good point, and makes up for the weirdness of it all. There's something nice about being able to write

print "the answer is", 3*4+10

which is one of the reasons ABC and BASIC have it that way.

Another real problem with print is that, while the automatic insertion of spaces is nice for beginners, it often gets in the way

I agree; why not just drop that feature for Python 3.0?

It looks to me like most arguments for keeping print are motivated by backwards compatibility (in its many guises, like the existence of 15 years of tutorials) and not by what would be best if we were to design a language from scratch.

Well, heck, if we were designing a language from scratch, would we start with Python? I rather liked SchemeXerox.

This is Python 3.0, after all, not BizarroLang 1.0. IMO the novice usability of it, combined with the existence of other alteratives for experienced programmers, combined with a tip of the hat to Python's noble history (what you refer to as "backwards compatibility"), keeps it in.

Bill

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