[Python-Dev] SRE incompatibility

[Tim Peters]

[/F]
> I think this means that we agree -- \x is a wart that can only
> be used to embed *binary bytes* in a string.

We certainly agree about that part!  I thought my

> I'm sorry \x escapes are even allowed in [u-strings] -- \x notation
> is a gimmick for making strings hold arbitrary binary data, which
> we're trying to get away from.  To the extent that they make any
> sense at all in Unicode strings, \u should be used instead.

was pretty explicit <wink>.

What we may still disagree on is how SRE should deal with the \x mess.  I'm
in favor of making \x mean "just the last byte" in plain and Unicode
strings -- do the least harm with this (mis)feature.  Making \x mean
anything other than that for plain strings, regardless of context, is not
backward compatible (with 1.5.2).  And since Unicode strings haven't been
released yet, it's not too late to change what they do with \x.

That would make SRE's job clear here, yes?  And in a way that allows the
now-failing test to pass again?