all possible combinations

[Robert Kern]

Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> Have you looked at what's in the standard Python library?
> 
> aifc.py => Stuff to parse AIFF-C and AIFF files.
> imghdr.py => Recognize image file formats based on their first few bytes.
> gopher.py => Gopher protocol client interface.
> token.py => Token constants (from "token.h").
> 
> I'm sure they are useful to somebody, but do you really think that the
> majority of Python users need to parse AIFF files?

There's a *huge* difference between, "Should we add such-and-such 
module?" and "Should we keep such-and-such module?" The burden for the 
latter is much, much lower.

Some of those modules are there because Python itself needs them 
(token.py). Some are there because way back in the day before python-dev 
got disciplined (or, for that matter, existed), a sufficient criterion 
for inclusion into the standard library was, "Guido uses it." He needed 
to parse AIFF files and various arcane image formats and do graphics 
using the old SGI GL (the precursor to OpenGL). That's why some of that 
stuff is there.

That said, I really would like a nice standard way to get the base-n 
representations of numbers for at least 2 <= n <= 36.

-- 
Robert Kern
rkern at ucsd.edu

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
  Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
   -- Richard Harter