[Python-Dev] Call for clarity ( clarification ;-) )

Fredrik Lundh fredrik@pythonware.com
Fri, 6 Sep 2002 17:03:06 +0200


guido wrote:

> > my only objection is that the case where fork fails isn't =
documented.
> > with a C background one expects a negative number, when in fact an=20
> > exception is raised...
>=20
> Ah jeez.  Even with only half a day of Python you should've figured
> out that Python nearly always raises an exception where the
> corresponding C code returns an error value.

otoh, it doesn't hurt to spell it out for functions like fork which
almost always succeeds...

(can you write a portable test that is guaranteed to raise an
exception, and does that without locking up the system?)

</F>