Python 2.3: int() ?

[Michael Hudson]

Carsten Gaebler <news at snakefarm.org> writes:

> Hi there,
> 
> I just read the 2.3 'highlights' page on python org, and I'm a bit
> confused: it says '# int() - this can now return a long when
> converting a string with many digits, rather than raising
> OverflowError.'
> 
> What does 'can' mean here?

It means it sometimes returns a long, sometimes an int.

>>> type(int("1" + "0"*3))
<type 'int'>
>>> type(int("1" + "0"*30))
<type 'long'>

> Can I switch between returning a long or raising an exception?

No.  At least, I'm pretty sure not.

Cheers,
M.

-- 
  Its unmanageable complexity has spawned more fear-preventing tools
  than any other language, but the solution _should_ have been to 
  create and use a language that does not overload the whole goddamn 
  human brain with irrelevant details.  -- Erik Naggum, comp.lang.lisp