[patch #100895 ] PyErr_Format (was: Re: [Python-Dev] Patches)

[Greg Stein]

On Wed, Jul 19, 2000 at 07:45:23PM +0200, Fredrik Lundh wrote:
>...
> if I understood GvR correctly, the only remaining issue here
> is whether we need more formatting codes

I would say "no. let's wait and implement when a need is discovered."

> (PyErr_Format is undocumented, so I'm not sure we need to
> be backwards compatible with code outside the interpreter...)
> 
> in an earlier post, I suggested adding a couple of PyErr_Format-
> specific formatting codes:
> 
>     possibly stupid idea: would it make sense to add custom
>     formatting codes, like:
> 
>         %S => char*, string, clip if excessively long
>         %T => PyObject*, show name of type, clip if excessively long
> 
>     where "clip" means:
> 
>         truncate at 80 characters, and add "..." to indicate
>         that the string was truncated.
> 
>     this covers most of the places where %.\d+s are used (in
>     the Python core, at least...)
> 
> comments?

Punt. Keep it clean and simple. If a long value goes in, then so be it.
There isn't a need for us to clean up after somebody's horrendous
long-identifier code. 

The only reason stuff like %.300s exists is to prevent buffer overflows. It
isn't because we are parents looking after little children :-)

Cheers,
-g

-- 
Greg Stein, http://www.lyra.org/