[Python-Dev] [Fwd: In Python 2.6, bytes is str]

[Steve Holden]

This does make it look rather as though bytes == str was a decision
whose consequences weren't fully appreciated before implementation.

Was this horror anticipated?

regards
 Steve

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: In Python 2.6, bytes is str
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:30:17 -0700
From: Bryan Olson <fakeaddress at nowhere.org>
Organization: at&t http://my.att.net/
To: python-list at python.org
Newsgroups: gmane.comp.python.general


Python 3 has the 'bytes' type, which the string type I've long wanted in
various languages. Among other advantages, it is immutable, and
therefore bytes objects can be dict keys. There's a mutable version too,
called "bytearray".

In Python 2.6, the name 'bytes' is defined, and bound to str. The 2.6
assignment presents some pitfalls. Be aware.

Consider constructing a bytes object as:

    b = bytes([68, 255, 0])

In Python 3.x, len(b) will be 3, which feels right.

In Python 2.6, len(b) will be  12, because b is the str, '[68, 255, 0]'.


I'm thinking I should just avoid using 'bytes' in Python 2.6. If there's
 another Python release between 2.6 and 3.gold, I'd advocate removing
the pre-defined 'bytes', or maybe defining it as something else.


-- 
--Bryan
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


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