[Python-Dev] readd u'' literal support in 3.3?

[Tres Seaver]

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On 12/08/2011 12:26 PM, "Martin v. Löwis" wrote:

>> It would make it possible to share code like this across py2 and
>> py3:
>> 
>> a = u'foo'
>> 
>> Instead of (with e.g. six):
>> 
>> a = u('foo')
>> 
>> Or:
>> 
>> from __future__ import unicode_literals a = 'foo'
>> 
>> I recognize that the last option is probably the way "its meant to
>> be done", but in reality it's just more practical to not fail when
>> literal notation is more specific than strictly necessary.
> 
> You are giving these two options already: - The former works for all
> Python versions. Although it may appear tedious to convert existing
> code to replace all Unicode literals with function calls, it would
> actually be possible/easy to write an automatic converter that does so
> for a complete code base, based on lib2to3.


I guess this could be done to generate "straddling" code from 2-only
code.  Note that the overhead of the function call is likely significant
in some cases:  generating a module scope constant is the only sane
replacement there, which might be harder to do in a fixer (I haven't
tried to write one yet).


> - the second version is truly practical for all
> applications/libraries that only support 2.6+.


Right.  The question is would running more P2 code unmodified in P3 be a
"Good Thing" from the perspective of P3 uptake:  developers who run up
against such issues tend to hit "camelback-meet-straw" points and bounce
off the effort.  Such a tiny change (a six line patch and an extra '..
note::' in the language reference section on string literal syntax) might
be worth avoiding that risk.


> In addition, there also is another option: - use 2to3, in some form


2to3 is not practical in a "straddling" case:

- - The script is too slow to use in development mode (like being back
  in "compile the world" Java / C++ land).

- - The transformed code generates tracebacks that don't match the source.


> So you have already three solutions which are all transitional in
> some sense, and you want yet another option? I fail to see why this
> option is more practical than the options that are already there.


The "redundant" u'*' spelling would be present in Python3 for the same
reason that the equally-reduntant b'*' spelling is present in Python
2.6+:  it makes writing portable code simpler.



Tres.
- -- 
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Tres Seaver          +1 540-429-0999          tseaver at palladion.com
Palladion Software   "Excellence by Design"    http://palladion.com
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