[New-bugs-announce] [issue35114] ssl.RAND_status docs describe it as returning True/False; actually returns 1/0

[Josh Rosenberg]

New submission from Josh Rosenberg <shadowranger+python at gmail.com>:

The ssl.RAND_status online docs say (with code format on True/False):

"Return True if the SSL pseudo-random number generator has been seeded with ‘enough’ randomness, and False otherwise."

This is incorrect; the function actually returns 1 or 0 (and the docstring agrees).

Fix can be one of:

1. Update docs to be less specific about the return type (use true/false, not True/False)
2. Update docs to match docstring (which specifically says 1/0, not True/False)
3. Update implementation and docstring to actually return True/False (replacing PyLong_FromLong with PyBool_FromLong and changing docstring to use True/False to match online docs)

#3 involves a small amount of code churn, but it also means we're not needlessly replicating a C API's use of int return values when the function is logically bool (there is no error status for the C API AFAICT, so it's not like returning int gains us anything on flexibility). bool would be mathematically equivalent to the original 1/0 return value in the rare cases someone uses it mathematically.

----------
assignee: docs at python
components: Documentation, SSL
messages: 328917
nosy: docs at python, josh.r
priority: low
severity: normal
status: open
title: ssl.RAND_status docs describe it as returning True/False; actually returns 1/0
type: behavior

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue35114>
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