[Python-Dev] Banishing apply(), buffer(), coerce(), and intern()

Raymond Hettinger raymond.hettinger at verizon.net
Tue Nov 25 01:24:18 EST 2003


After re-reading previous posts on the subject, I had an idea.  Let's
isolate these functions in the documentation into a separate section
following the rest of the builtins.
 
The cost of having these builtins is not that they take up a few entries
in the directory listing.  Also, it's no real burden to leave them in
the code base.  The real cost is that when learning the language, after
reading the tutorial, the next step is to make sure you know what all
the builtins do before moving on to study the library offerings. 
 
The problem with buffer() and intern() is not that they are totally
useless.  The problem is that it that it is darned difficult an everyday
user to invent productive use cases.  Here on python-dev, one defender
arose for each and said that they once had a use for them.  So, let's
leave the functionality intact and just move it off the list of things
you need to know.  In both cases, it would have saved me some hours
spent trying to figure out what they were good for - I wish someone had
just said, "you can ignore these two". These functions are just
distractors in a person's mental concept space.
 
There's really nothing wrong with have apply() and coerce() being
supported for old code.  The problem with them is why bother even
knowing that they exist - they just don't figure into modern python
code.  Any time spent learning them now is time that could have been
spent learning about the copy or pickle modules or some such.
 
Moving these functions to a separate section sends a clear message to
trainers and book writers that it is okay to skip these topics. Getting
them out of the critical path for learning python will make the language
even easier to master.
 
Some are highly resistant to deprecation because it makes their lives
more difficult.  However, I think even they would like a list of "things
you just don't need to know anymore".  In other words, you don't have to
wait for Py3.0 for a clean house, just push all the clutter in a corner
and walk around it.
 
'nuff said,
 
 
Raymond Hettinger
 
 
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