[issue7540] urllib2 request does not update content length after new add_data

[Senthil Kumaran]

Senthil Kumaran <orsenthil at gmail.com> added the comment:

Change is reverted from other branches too. Discussed in IRC, that changes made to an existing API like add_data,may break some existing applications, even if its done to prevent unsupported usage. 

Specifically, in mechanize's case, it was not reusing req object, but using add_data method more than once before req was getting submitted. This is under scenarios wherein code as in zope.testbrowser) is centered on the browser controls; any twiddle to a control could update the req object before its submitted. This could be changed in mechanize, but in general agreed to fact that changes to existing API should not result in breaking of apps.

We can address the non-reusablity of request by adding a boolean that signifies if a request has been used and throw an exception if one is used a second time ( benji's suggestion). And of course clarify the supported and intended scenarios via documentation.

----------
resolution: fixed -> accepted

_______________________________________
Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue7540>
_______________________________________