[Python-Dev] Re: adding a bytes sequence type to Python

[M.-A. Lemburg]

Martin v. Löwis wrote:
> M.-A. Lemburg wrote:
> 
>> Anyway, this whole discussion about a new bytes type doesn't
>> really solve the problem that the b'...' literal was
>> intended for: that of having a nice way to define (read-only)
>> 8-bit binary string literals.
> 
> But why do you need a way to spell 8-bit string literals?
 >
> You can always do
> 
>    "string".encode("L1")
> 
> If that is too much typing, do
> 
>    def b(s):return s.encode("L1")
> 
>    b("string")

You need to think about the important use-case of having
to convert Py2 applications to Py3 style. In many cases,
the application can be made to run under Py3 be adding the
small 'b' in front of the used string literals.

Even better: if we add the b'xxx' notation now, we could start
working towards the switch-over by slowly converting the
Python standard library to actually work in -U mode (which
basically implements the switch-over by making 'abc' behave
as u'abc').

Since the code is already in place and the change is
minimal, I don't see any reason not to use it.

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

Professional Python Services directly from the Source  (#1, Aug 18 2004)
 >>> Python/Zope Consulting and Support ...        http://www.egenix.com/
 >>> mxODBC.Zope.Database.Adapter ...             http://zope.egenix.com/
 >>> mxODBC, mxDateTime, mxTextTools ...        http://python.egenix.com/
________________________________________________________________________

::: Try mxODBC.Zope.DA for Windows,Linux,Solaris,FreeBSD for free ! ::::