Who uses input()? [was Re: question on "input"]

[Stephen Thorne]

On 15/07/05, Terry Hancock <hancock at anansispaceworks.com> wrote:
> On Thursday 14 July 2005 07:00 am, Michael Hoffman wrote:
> > Devan L wrote:
> > > Use raw_input instead. It returns a string of whatever was typed. Input
> > > expects a valid python expression.
> >
> > Who actually uses this? It's equivalent to eval(raw_input(prompt)) but
> > causes a lot of newbie confusion. Python-dev archives revealed that
> > someone tried to get this deprecated but Guido disagreed.
> 
> I don't think it should disappear, but it *does* seem more sensible for
> "raw_input" to be called "input" (or "readstring" or some such thing) and
> "input" to vanish into greater obscurity as "eval_input" or something.
> 
> Unfortunately, that would break code if anything relied on "input", so I
> guess that would be a Py3K idea, and maybe the whole I/O concept
> will be rethought then (if the "print" statement is going to go away,
> anyway).

I don't see as "break input() using code" -> "not until py3k" as a
logical cause/effect. No one should be using input() anyway, the only
place it's at-all appropriate is in a python tutorial, with the 'guess
the number' game.

-- 
Stephen Thorne
Development Engineer