[Python-ideas] Deprecating rarely used str methods

[Benjamin Peterson]

Andrew Barnert <abarnert at ...> writes:

> 
> On Aug 11, 2013, at 23:10, Benjamin Peterson <benjamin at ...> wrote:
> 
> > Andrew Barnert <abarnert <at> ...> writes:
> > 
> >> 
> >> On Aug 11, 2013, at 20:32, Benjamin Peterson <benjamin <at> python.org>
wrote:
> >> 
> >>> Serhiy Storchaka <storchaka <at> ...> writes:
> >>> 
> >>>> str.swapcase() is just not needed.
> >>> 
> >>> I would quite love to get rid of this method, since it's basically useless
> >>> and wrong on non-ASCII strings.
> >> 
> >> No it isn't.
> > 
> > I realize it "handles" non-ASCII characters, but I claim there is no
> > sensical behavior.
> 
> So you want Python to not follow Unicode in general, or just in case
mapping, or just in this one function
> (leaving upper, lower, etc. alone)?
> 
> Out of curiosity, what language do you use that has no sensible behavior?
Most scripts either have sensible
> case rules, or just don't have cases (so the function is an obvious
no-op). I know some people think Unicode
> chose the _wrong_ rule for their script (e.g., the Turkish i mentioned
earlier--even if it is what most
> Turkish computer users wanted, there are purists who insist it should work
properly, or that Turkish
> dotted i and dotless I should be separate characters from their Latin
equivalents). But that's not the
> same as saying there _are_ no good rules for their script.

In the precense of things like title case, "swapping" case isn't always an
operation that can make sense.