[Python-Dev] str.dedent

[Gareth McCaughan]

On Sunday 2005-11-13 17:43, Marc-Andre Lemburg wrote:

[Noam Raphael:]
> > The idea is to add a method called "dedent" to strings. It would do
> > exactly what the current textwrap.indent function does. 

[Marc-Andre:]
> You are missing a point here: string methods were introduced
> to make switching from plain 8-bit strings to Unicode easier.
> 
> As such they are only needed in cases where an algorithm
> has to work on the resp. internals differently or where direct
> access to the internals makes a huge difference in terms
> of performance.

In a language that generally pays as much attention to
practical usability as Python, it seems a pity to say
(as you seem to be implying) that whether something is
a string method or a function in (say) the "textwrap"
module should be determined by internal implementation
details.

> > Writing multilined strings without spaces in the beginning of lines
> > makes functions harder to read, since although the Python parser is
> > happy with it, it breaks the visual indentation.
> 
> This is really a minor compiler/parser issue and not one which
> warrants adding another string method.

Adding another string method seems easier, and a smaller
change, than altering the compiler or parser. What's your
point here? I think I must be missing something.

-- 
g