[Python-Dev] Exception Reorg PEP revised yet again

[James Y Knight]

On Aug 10, 2005, at 7:45 PM, Raymond Hettinger wrote:

>>> Then I don't follow what you mean by "moved under os".
>>>
>>
>> In other words, to get the exception, do ``from os import
>> WindowsError``.  Unfortunately we don't have a generic win module to
>> put it under.  Maybe in the platform module instead?
>>
>
> -1 on either.  The WindowsError exception needs to in the main  
> exception
> tree.  It occurs in too many different modules and applications.  That
> is a good reason for being in the main tree.
>
> If the name bugs you, I would support renaming it to PlatformError or
> somesuch.  That would make it free for use with Mac errors and Linux
> errors.  Also, it wouldn't tie a language feature to the name of an MS
> product.

WindowsError is an important distinction because its error codes are  
to be interepreted as being from Microsoft's windows error code list.  
That is a useful meaning. PlatformError is completely meaningless.  
Whether or not Python should really be raising errors with error  
numbers from the MS error number list instead of translating them to  
standard error codes is another issue...but as long as it does so, it  
should do so using WindowsError.

James