[issue39891] [difflib] Improve get_close_matches() to better match when casing of words are different

[Tim Peters]

Tim Peters <tim at python.org> added the comment:

If you pursue this, please introduce a new function for it.  You immediately have an idea about how to change the current function precisely because it _doesn't_ try to guess what you really wanted.  That lack of magic is valuable - you're not actually confused by what it does, because it doesn't do anything to the strings you give it ;-)  By the same token, if you have a crisp idea of how it should treat strings instead, it's straightforward to write a wrapper that does so.  The existing function won't fight you by trying to impose its own ideas.

Guessing what people really wanted tends to become a bottomless pit.  For example, do you know all the rules for what "case" even means in a Unicode world?  What about diacritical marks?  And so on.  I don't.

Not saying it shouldn't be pursued.  Am saying it may be hard to reach consensus on what's "really" wanted.  By some people, some of the time.  Never - alas - by all people all the time.

----------
nosy: +tim.peters
stage:  -> needs patch
type:  -> enhancement
versions: +Python 3.9 -Python 3.6

_______________________________________
Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue39891>
_______________________________________