[Python-Dev] Re: Update PEP 292

[Anders J. Munch]

>From Brett C. [mailto:bac at OCF.Berkeley.EDU]
> 
> That is coming down to a question of convenience compared to 
> explicitness.  Do we want "Give me $1,000,000 now!" to raise 
> ValueError, 
> or do we want to let it pass through?

This particular problem has been considered and decided on years ago,
in the context of %-interpolation:

    >>> "Give me %1,000,000 now!" % {}
    ValueError: unsupported format character ',' (0x2c) at index 10

String interpolation with named parameters given as a dictionary is a
problem already solved in Python.  I am puzzled at this urge to
re-solve the same problem, only differently.

If remembering to type the trailing s in "%(varname)s" is so much of a
problem, why not extend the current interpolation syntax with a
variation that is more convenient, yet still backwards-compatible?  I
would suggest a formatting-character-less version of "%(varname)s"
that uses brackets instead: "%[varname]".

dollar-signs?-we-don't-need-no-steenkin-dollar-signs-ly y'rs, Anders