[Python-ideas] Create a StringBuilder class and use it everywhere

[Steven D'Aprano]

Mike Graham wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 5:28 AM, k_bx <k.bx at ya.ru> wrote:
>>    def main_bucket():
>>        b = StringBuilder(u"initial value ")
>>        for i in xrange(30000000):
>>            b += u"more data"
>>        return unicode(b)
> 
> This doesn't seem nicer to read and write to me than the list form. I
> also do not see any reason to believe it will stop people from doing
> it the quadratic way if the ubiquitous make-a-list-then-join idiom
> does not.


Agreed. Just because the Java idiom is StringBuilder doesn't mean Python 
should ape it. Python already has a "build strings efficiently" idiom: 
''.join(iterable_of_strings)


If people can't, or won't, learn this idiom, why would they learn to use 
StringBuilder instead?



-- 
Steven