[Python-Dev] Issue #26204: compiler now emits a SyntaxWarning on constant statement (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido at python.org
Mon Feb 8 19:53:44 EST 2016

The warning for 'assert (cond, msg)' was specifically put in because this is a nasty trap. It's always a mistaken attempt to write 'assert cond, msg' -- usually in an attempt to break a long line without using a backslash. I'd actually consider promoting it to a syntax error rather than removing the warning.

Compared to other "lint warnings" this one is much nastier -- it is also much more certain that it is a mistake. (Much more certain than e.g. an undefined variable, which could still be legitimate code due to dynamic updates to globals() or builtins.)

-- --Guido van Rossum (python.org/~guido)

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