[Python-Dev] file() or open()?

[Simon Percivall]

On 2004-07-07, at 17.14, Paul Prescod wrote:
> open made sense in a Unix world where "everything was a file" (except 
> that even then it wasn't really) but it is a poor name for the file 
> opening function in a 21st century language.

Except that it still makes sense. Look in almost any application: In 
the file menu you'll find a command 'Open ...', or perhaps 'Open File 
...'. It'll open a dialog for opening a file from the filesystem (or 
something represented as a filesystem).