Obscure Exception message

[Michael Hudson]

Thomas Wouters <thomas at xs4all.net> writes:

> On Thu, Jun 08, 2000 at 05:28:58PM -0400, Andrew M. Kuchling wrote:
> 
> > "Daley, MarkX" <markx.daley at intel.com> writes:
> > > TypeError: string member test needs char left operand
> > > I have no idea what this is telling me, although the 'char' comment makes me
> > > wish I had a flamethrower!
> 
> > Good point.  Hmm... how about:
> > TypeError: in <string> requires character as left operand
> 
> Put quotes around 'in <string>':
> 
> TypeError: 'in <string>' requires character as left operand
> 

The Rapid-Fire-Python-Error-Message-Improver (me) says:

Index: stringobject.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Objects/stringobject.c,v
retrieving revision 2.66
diff -u -r2.66 stringobject.c
--- stringobject.c	2000/06/01 03:12:13	2.66
+++ stringobject.c	2000/06/09 12:24:54
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@
 		return PyUnicode_Contains(a, el);
 	if (!PyString_Check(el) || PyString_Size(el) != 1) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,
-				"string member test needs char left operand");
+		    "'in <string>' requires character as left operand");
 		return -1;
 	}
 	c = PyString_AsString(el)[0];
Index: unicodeobject.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Objects/unicodeobject.c,v
retrieving revision 2.21
diff -u -r2.21 unicodeobject.c
--- unicodeobject.c	2000/05/09 19:54:43	2.21
+++ unicodeobject.c	2000/06/09 12:25:01
@@ -2991,7 +2991,7 @@
     /* Check v in u */
     if (PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(v) != 1) {
 	PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,
-			"string member test needs char left operand");
+	    "'in <string>' requires character as left operand");
 	goto onError;
     }
     ch = *PyUnicode_AS_UNICODE(v);

and:

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Cheers,
M.

-- 
93. When someone says "I want a programming language in which I
    need only say what I wish done," give him a lollipop.
  -- Alan Perlis, http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/perlis-alan/quotes.html