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[Python-Dev] Re: Inconsistent error messages in Py{Object, Sequence}_SetItem()

Terry Reedy tjreedy at udel.edu
Mon Oct 27 14:47:41 EST 2003 
"Martin v. Löwis" <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote in message
news:3F9C3FB0.8050206 at v.loewis.de...
> Guido van Rossum wrote:
> > Luckily I wasn't taught formal writing :-), and I don't see why it
> > can't be doesn't.  I'd say that if you want Python's error
messages to
> > be formal writing, you'd have to change a lot more than just the
> > one... :-)
>
> OTOH, I would always yield to native speakers in such issues. To me
> myself, it does not matter much, but if native speakers feel happier
> one way or the other, I'd like to help them feel happy :-)

To add a native-speaker datapoint:

I am old enough to remember being taught the same as Greg.  (However,
American stylistic conventions have tended to get looser since then.)
I also remember going through manuscripts to get rid of contractions
prior to submission for publication.  Given the overloading of
apostrophe both in English and Python, I think 'does not' looks
slightly better than "doesn't" (which saves only one character and
forces a change in quote marks!).  So does consistency versus
accidental variation ;-)

Terry J. Reedy
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