[Python-Dev] Optional arguments for str.encode /.decode

[Raymond Hettinger]

[Barry]
> > Actually what I was complaining about probably is too late to "fix".
It

[Alex]
> We must keep supporting that approach, yes (alas), but maybe it's
> not too late to encourage another alternative style instead?  E.g.,
have
> some object exposing attributes corresponding to those strings that
> do name codecs, so that while e.g.
> 
>     s.encode('zlib', level=9)
> 
> would have to keep working, the officially encouraged style would be:
> 
>     s.encode(codec.zlib, level=9)
> 
> or something of that ilk...?

+1, that is a great idea.


Raymond