how to add new print %b format to python?

[P at draigBrady.com]

Rusty Shackleford wrote:
> I have a Summer in front of me without any school, and I'd like to add a
> new format for python print strings that will show any number in a
> binary representation.  For example:
> 
> 
>>>>'%b' % 3
> 
> 11
> 
>>>>'%b' % 5
> 
> 101
> 
> You get the idea.  I've written functions that return strings, so that
> part is done, but where do I go to tinker with the python interpreter to
> add this new format?
> 
> Please don't argue with me about whether this is an advisable goal in
> itself -- I'm using it as a method to learn about the internals of the
> python language.

I don't think this will be accepted as the
format args are really a lowest common denominator
across all systems. For e.g. on linux you can use
the ' modifier to print numbers in locale format
(and example for mine is 1,234).

Also %b is already used by userspace utils in linux, from the docs:

In addition to the standard printf(1)
formats, %b causes printf to expand backslash escape
sequences in the corresponding argument, and %q causes
printf to output the corresponding argument in a format
that can be reused as shell input.

Anyway it's easy to get a binary representation
and I can't remember the last time I needed one?
Something like this should work:

binary = lambda n: n>0 and binary(n>>1)+[str(n&1)] or []
''.join(map(binary(4096))

Pádraig.