[Python-Dev] "data".decode(encoding) ?!

[M.-A. Lemburg]

Guido van Rossum wrote:
> 
> > We already have "data".encode(encoding) which encodes the string data
> > by passing it through the encoder of the given encoding.
> >
> > Wouldn't it be worthwhile to add direct access to codec decoders
> > through string methods as well ?
> >
> > (Note that this addition only makes sense for string objects,
> > since Unicode cannot be decoded.)
> >
> > Also, would there be any objections adding some more standard
> > codecs to the system ? I'm thinking of wrapping the binascii
> > module APIs in form of codecs...
> 
> Can you provide examples of where this can't be done using the
> existing approach?

There is no existing elegant approach except hooking up to the
codecs directly. Adding .decode() is really a matter of adding
symmetry.

Here are some example of how these two codec methods could
be used:

	xmltext = binarydata.encode('base64')
	...
	binarydata = xmltext.decode('base64')

	zzz = data.encode('gzip')
	...
	data = zzz.decode('gzip')

	jpegimage = gifimage.decode('gif').encode('jpeg')

	mp3audio = wavaudio.decode('wav').encode('mp3')

	etc.

Basically all content transfer encodings can take advantage of
these two methods.

It's not really code bloat, BTW, since the C API is there;
the .decode() method would just expose it.

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
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