[Python-Dev] Status regarding Old vs. Advanced String Formating (original) (raw)

Tshepang Lekhonkhobe tshepang at gmail.com
Sat Feb 25 11:46:17 CET 2012

On Sat, Feb 25, 2012 at 12:20, "Martin v. Löwis" <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote:

I find that strange, especially for an expert Python dev. I, a newbie, find it far friendlier (and easier for a new programmer to grasp). Maybe it's because I use it all the time, and you don't? That is most likely the case. You learn by practice. For that very reason, the claim "and easier for a new programmer to grasp" is difficult to prove. It was easier for you, since you started using it, and then kept using it. I don't recall any particular obstacles learning % formatting (even though I did for C, not for C++). Generalizing that it is easier is invalid: you just didn't try learning that instead first, and now you can't go back in a state where either are new to you.

When I started using Python, Advanced format wasn't yet available, so I was forced to use Old style format. It's not a big issue, especially since I had also used C before then. It's just that when Advanced format was introduced, I fell for it, mainly because I found it more readable (also see the sort of power Nick displayed earlier in this thread) not to mention elegant. For that reason, I would recommend any new Python programmer to ignore Old style altogether. That includes those with C background.

PS: By newbie, I meant that I'm at the low ranks (at least as compared to you), not that I only started using Python last year. Sorry for the noise.

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