[Python-Dev] str vs repr at prompt again (FW: String printing behavior?)

[Tim Peters]

Another unsolicited testimonial that countless users are oppressed by
auto-repr (as opposed to auto-str) at the interpreter prompt.  Just trying
to keep a once-hot topic from going stone cold forever <wink>.


-----Original Message-----
From: python-list-admin@python.org [mailto:python-list-admin@python.org]
On Behalf Of Ted Drain
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 5:42 PM
To: python-list@python.org
Subject: String printing behavior?


Hi all,
I've got a question about the string printing behavior.  If I define a
functions as:

>>> def foo():
...    return "line1\nline2"

>>> foo()
'line1\013line2'

>>> print foo()
line1
line2

>>>

It seems to me that the default printing behavior for strings should match
behavior of the print routine.  I realize that some people may want to
see embedded control codes, but I would advocate a seperate method for
printing raw byte sequences.

We are using the python interactive prompt as a pseudo-matlab like user
interface and the current printing behavior is very confusing to users.
It also means that functions that return text (like help routines)
must print the string rather than returning it.  Returning the string
is much more flexible because it allows the string to be captured
easily and redirected.

Any thoughts?

Ted

--
Ted Drain   Jet Propulsion Laboratory    Ted.Drain@jpl.nasa.gov
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