[Python-Dev] String module

[Raymond Hettinger]

From: "Guido van Rossum" <guido@python.org>
> > What shall we Silently Deprecate?
> >
> > string module
>
> Yes, after providing substitutes.

I commented on the substitutes patch, www.python.org/sf/561832, but thought
it would be better to kick the idea around here on Py-dev.

Instead of making direct substitutes for the character lists, I propose we
take advantage of the opportunity and provide them as mappings rather than
strings.  That way, we can get O(1) behavior instead of O(n) behavior for
code like:  if c in str.printable:  c='*'.   If someone needs to know the
contents, they can run str.printable.keys().  Also, because the dictionary
is mutable, someone can (at runtime) expand or contract the definitions:
str.whitespace.append('_').


Raymond Hettinger