[Python-Dev] Better text processing support in py2k?

[Andrew M. Kuchling]

Skip Montanaro writes:
>What AMK says makes perfect sense until you examine some of the other things
>that are in the language, like the Ellipsis object and complex numbers.  If
>I recall correctly both were added as a result of the NumPy package
>development.

True, but note that you can compile Python with WITHOUT_COMPLEX
defined to remove complex numbers.

>    1. When using something like the simple file i/o idiom
>       for line in f.readlines():
>	   dofunstuff(line)
>       the programmer should not have to care how big the file is.

What about 'for line in fileinput.input()', which already exists?
(Hmmm... if you have an already open file object, I don't think you
can pass it to fileinput.input(); maybe that should be fixed.)

On a vaguely related note, since there are many things like parser
generators and XML stuff and mxTextTools, I've been speculating about
a text processing topic guide.  If you know of Python packages related
to text processing, please send me a private e-mail with a link.

-- 
A.M. Kuchling			http://starship.python.net/crew/amk/
Constraints often boost creativity.
    -- Jim Hugunin, 11 Feb 1999