[Python-Dev] Parametrized codecs

Are there any codecs that can take parameters at initialization time? If not, how about supporting them? Here's a motivating example:

import codecs f = codecs.open('output', 'wb', encoding='DES', # arguments to open() key = '...', mode = DES.ECB) f.write('This will be encrypted\n') f.close()

For this to work, you'd need a few changes to codecs.py. Off the top of my head, I think StreamReader, StreamWriter, and StreamReaderWriter all need to grow **kwargs arguments for any additional arguments, as do codecs.open() and codecs.lookup().

Then someone could write a DES StreamReader/Streamwriter that took a key and feedback mode at creation time. (codecs.Codec instances are supposed to be stateless, right?)

--amk