PEP proposal for round(x,n) enhancement

[Christopher Smith]

python-list at python.org writes:
>> exactly represent such numbers. Just try
>> >>> 1/5.
>> 0.20000000000000001
>
>The only differnce between Python and MATLAB here is that MATLAB doesn't
>displya as many digits as Python, so you don't see that 1 on the end.

Just a note here.  Python only does this when the repr() is called to 
display the number.  The str() function produces a more expected visual 
result;

>>> x=1/5.
>>> print x
0.2
>>> print `x`
0.20000000000000001
>>> x
0.20000000000000001


Edu-sig had a way to make displayhook use str() when it prints numbers in 
the IDE environment so that 0.2 would have been printed when you just 
type a calculation (like 1/5. or a variable like x with no explicit 
print).  If you run the following code you can get this behavior:

####
import sys
import __builtin__
def mydisplayhook(o):
	if type(o) == type(0.1):
		# print a better looking float
		print str(o)
		# remember to assign to _!
		__builtin__._ = o
	else:
		#use the old displayhook in every other case
		sys.__displayhook__(o)
sys.displayhook=mydisplayhook
####

(Again, this is not the reason for the proposal for the round() 
enhancement but this might be useful.)


/c