[Python-Dev] ConfigParser behavior change

[David Goodger]

Could I get some feedback re <http://www.python.org/sf/997050>?
I'd like to resolve this before 2.4a2 if possible.

In summary,

RawConfigParser.set() doesn't allow non-string arguments for 'value'
any more.  This breaks Docutils code.  I specifically chose
RawConfigParser for Docutils internal settings support because it
*did* allow non-string values.

An earlier bug report (<http://www.python.org/sf/810843>, "Support for
non-string data in ConfigParser unclear/buggy") offered 4 options:

(1) Cast the option to a string explicitly instead of assuming it
     is a string
(2) Check that the option is a string
(3) State in the documentation that the set() method only
     takes string values
(4) State in the documentation that the raw parameter should be
     used when an option's value might not be of type string

Options 2 & 3 were implemented in the "bug fix" (just a type check).
I think that the behavior should not have been changed, rather that
the documentation needed updating (i.e., choose option 4 instead).  I
volunteer to undo the change and update the documentation ASAP.

The comment for bug 810843 says "This is documented behavior", but I
couldn't find any such documentation pre-dating this change.

Thanks!

-- 
David Goodger <http://python.net/~goodger>
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