[Python-Dev] open(): set the default encoding to 'utf-8' in Python 3.3?

[Ethan Furman]

Michael Foord wrote:
> On 28/06/2011 17:34, Terry Reedy wrote:
>> On 6/28/2011 10:48 AM, Michael Foord wrote:
>>> On 28/06/2011 15:36, Terry Reedy wrote:
>>
>>>> S = open('myfile.txt').read()
>>>> now return a text string in both Py2 and Py3 and a subsequent
>>>> 'abc' in S
>>>> works in both.
>>>
>>> Nope, it returns a bytestring in Python 2.
>>
>> Which, in Py2 is a str() object. 
> 
> Yes, but not a "text string". The equivalent of the Python 2 str in 
> Python 3 is bytes. Irrelevant discussion anyway.

Irrelevant to the OP, yes, but a Python 2 string *is not* the same as 
Python 3 bytes.  If you don't believe me fire up your Python 3 shell and 
try b'xyz'[1] == 'y'.

~Ethan~