[Python-bugs-list] [ python-Feature Requests-494240 ] str.reverse

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Mon, 17 Dec 2001 20:22:31 -0800


Feature Requests item #494240, was opened at 2001-12-17 08:50
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Category: Python Library
Group: None
Status: Open
Priority: 5
Submitted By: Allan Crooks (amc1)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: str.reverse

Initial Comment:
The str type should *really* have a reverse 
method. "How do I reverse a string?" crops up too 
often on tutor lists, and there should be a neater way 
to do it other than converting it to a list, reversing 
it, and then joining it...

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>Comment By: Guido van Rossum (gvanrossum)
Date: 2001-12-17 20:22

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Write a PEP. :-)

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Comment By: Allan Crooks (amc1)
Date: 2001-12-17 20:17

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> Show me one real-life application of reversing a string.

Ummm.... easy way to check for palindromes?

> This comes from textbook exercises IMO,
> and doesn't occur in real life.

It may not occur in many serious applications, but there 
have been occasions where I've simply wanted to reverse a 
string just for the fun of it really (or just to check 
quickly what something is backwards).

> Adding the method would reduce the
> utility of the textbook exercise...

Not unless you explicitly said not to use str.reverse... 
You could argue that doing l = list('something'); l.reverse
(); ''.join(l) perhaps is still a bit too easy for a text 
book. Something more appropriate like for loops and ranges 
would be suitable for an exercise.

I dunno, it just seems like it's the sort of method that 
should be part of str, and it doesn't seem like the method 
would be that huge or problematic to implement...

If that doesn't convince you, then at least say you'll 
implement it if I figure out a worthwhile use for it. :))

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Comment By: Guido van Rossum (gvanrossum)
Date: 2001-12-17 08:57

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Show me one real-life application of reversing a string.
This comes from textbook exercises IMO, and doesn't occur in
real life. Adding the method would reduce the utility of the
textbook exercise...

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