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[Python-Dev] PEP 215 redux: toward a simplified consensus?

Paul Prescod paul@prescod.net
Tue, 26 Feb 2002 10:21:08 -0800 
"Fred L. Drake, Jr." wrote:
> 
> Paul Prescod writes:
>  >                                   The major reason for doing it at
>  > compile time (for me) is that you can have a nice syntax that doesn't
>  > evolve modulus-ing (or dividing) an otherwise useless vars() or locals()
>  > dictionary.
> 
> Which has everything to do with your usage.  I almost never use % with
> locals() or vars(), so I don't share that motivation.  

Even so you have to modulus a tuple or a variable. That doesn't make any
more sense for a newbie and is just as inconvenient for the script
kiddie (which is often me!), compared to languages like Perl, Ruby, Tcl,
sh etc.

Python's interpolation syntax is: more verbose, more complicated, less
secure and also more powerful. I have no problem with keeping the power
but I'd like something less verbose and less complicated alongside it.

> I'm much more
> likely to build a dict specifically for the purpose, which includes
> computed values, or have something already created which includes this
> usage as part of the larger picture.

I don't believe that this feature should be taken away from you. But I
don't see how it relates to the PEP because what you want to do is
already doable. PEP 215 is about making things *easier for simple
cases*. If you have new, high-end needs for runtime string interpolation
then PEP 215 probably won't address them.

 Paul Prescod