[path-PEP] Path inherits from basestring again

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 14:10:52 +0200, Reinhold Birkenfeld wrote:

> Above all, nobody can tell me that there's any programmer who doesn't 
> instantly recognize '/' as a directory separator.

Is classic Macintosh OS still supported on Python? Because Mac programmers
who haven't made the jump to OS X will probably instantly recognise ':' as
the directory separator, not '/'.

Acorn RISC OS developers may also instantly recognise '.' as the directory
separator.

And presumably mathematicians and numeric programmers who do very little
file input/output will probably instantly recognise '/' as the division
operator.

And I have no idea what directory separators are in use under file systems
that don't use ASCII or any extension to ASCII, eg the OS which has been
described as the most common operating system in the world, the Japanese
"Real-time Operating System Nucleus", TRON. (Chances are you have at least
half a dozen devices in your home with embedded TRON.)

Still, your (modified) point that most Western programmers will quickly
recognise '/' as a directory separator is surely true. 

Even given that, I'm not convinced that it is a good idea to turn '/' into
a join-path operator. I don't have any good reasons for objecting
either, just a funny little feeling in the back of my head that says
that no good can ever come from allowing Path("C:\Windows")/"cmd.com".


-- 
Steven.