[Python-checkins] r46795 - in python/trunk: Doc/lib/libstdtypes.tex Lib/test/string_tests.py Misc/NEWS Objects/stringobject.c Objects/unicodeobject.c

[Tim Peters]

[georg.brandl]
>> Author: georg.brandl
>> Date: Fri Jun  9 20:45:48 2006
>> New Revision: 46795
>>
>> Log:
>> RFE #1491485: str/unicode.endswith()/startswith() now accept a
tuple as first argument.

[Neal Norwitz]
> What's the reason to not support any sequence and only support tuples?

It can't support any sequence, else e.g. s.endswith(".py") would be ambiguous.

> Are there any other APIs that only support tuples rather than all
> sequences?

Oh, who cares -- it would be a relief to leave _something_ simple <0.7
wink>.  It's a bit of a stretch, but, e.g.,

>>> isinstance(1, [int, str])
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
TypeError: isinstance() arg 2 must be a class, type, or tuple of
classes and types

is restricted to tuple containers; ditto issubclass.  They're similar
in that most expected uses involve small, constant collections.

Given that {start,end}swidth can't support all sequences regardless,
restricting it to tuples is OK by me, and was clearly sufficient for
the uses made of this already in the standard library.