[Python-Dev] Some RFE for review

[Nick Coghlan]

Reinhold Birkenfeld wrote:
> 1152248:
> In order to read "records" separated by something other than newline, file objects
> should either support an additional parameter (the separator) to (x)readlines(),
> or gain an additional method which does this.
> Review: The former is a no-go, I think, because what is read won't be lines.
> The latter is further complicating the file interface, so I would follow the
> principle that not every 3-line function should be builtin.

As Douglas Alan's sample implementation (and his second attempt [1]) 
show, getting this right (and reasonably efficient) is actually a 
non-trivial exercise. Leveraging the existing xreadlines 
infrastructure is an idea worth considering.

I think it's worth leaving this one open, and see if someone comes up 
with a patch (obviously, this was my opinion from the start, or I 
wouldn't have raised the RFE in response to Douglas's query!)

Cheers,
Nick.

[1] http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2005-February/268547.html

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia
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