[Python-Dev] What if we didn't have repr? (original) (raw)

Mark Janssen dreamingforward at gmail.com
Mon May 20 20:14:49 CEST 2013

I have pondered it many times, although usually in the form "Why do we need both str and repr?"

Here's an idea: considering python objects are "stateful". Make a general, state-query operator: "?". Then the distinction is clear.

?"This is a string" #Returns the contents of the string This is a string

Then repr() is clearly the object "as it is" -- unstripped; i.e., not just it's state (or contents, or whatever).

MarkJ Tacoma, Washington