On Thu Feb 19 2015 at 5:52:07 PM Serhiy Storchaka <storchaka@gmail.com> wrote:

Different patterns for TypeError messages are used in the stdlib:

expected X, Y found
expected X, found Y
expected X, but Y found
expected X instance, Y found
X expected, not Y
expect X, not Y
need X, Y found
X is required, not Y
Z must be X, not Y
Z should be X, not Y

and more.

What the pattern is most preferable?

My preference is for "expected X, but found Y".

Some messages use the article before X or Y. Should the article be used
or omitted?

Some messages (only in C) truncate actual type name (%.50s, %.80s,
%.200s, %.500s). Should type name be truncated at all and for how limit?

I assume this is over some worry of string size blowing out memory allocation or something? If someone can show that's an actual worry then fine, otherwise I say don't truncate.

Type names newer truncated in TypeError messages raised in Python code.

Some messages enclose actual type name with single quotes ('%s',
'%.200s'). Should type name be quoted? It is uncommon if type name
contains spaces.

I agree that type names don't need to be quoted.