[Python-checkins] r59937 - python/trunk/Doc/library/functions.rst

[georg.brandl]

Author: georg.brandl
Date: Sun Jan 13 10:36:18 2008
New Revision: 59937

Modified:
   python/trunk/Doc/library/functions.rst
Log:
Clarify the effect of text mode.


Modified: python/trunk/Doc/library/functions.rst
==============================================================================
--- python/trunk/Doc/library/functions.rst	(original)
+++ python/trunk/Doc/library/functions.rst	Sun Jan 13 10:36:18 2008
@@ -734,7 +734,9 @@
    writing (truncating the file if it already exists), and ``'a'`` for appending
    (which on *some* Unix systems means that *all* writes append to the end of the
    file regardless of the current seek position).  If *mode* is omitted, it
-   defaults to ``'r'``.  When opening a binary file, you should append ``'b'`` to
+   defaults to ``'r'``.  The default is to use text mode, which may convert
+   ``'\n'`` characters to a platform-specific representation on writing and back
+   on reading.  Thus, when opening a binary file, you should append ``'b'`` to
    the *mode* value to open the file in binary mode, which will improve
    portability.  (Appending ``'b'`` is useful even on systems that don't treat
    binary and text files differently, where it serves as documentation.)  See below