[Python-Dev] idea for data-type (data-format) PEP

[Alexander Belopolsky]

On Nov 4, 2006, at 3:15 AM, Martin v. Löwis wrote:

> Alexander Belopolsky schrieb:
>> Multi-segment buffers are only dead because standard library modules
>> do not support them.
>
> That, in turn, is because nobody has contributed code to make that  
> work.
> My guess is that people either don't need it, or find it too difficult
> to implement.

Last time I tried to contribute code related to buffer protocol, it  
was rejected with little discussion

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php? 
func=detail&aid=1539381&group_id=5470&atid=305470

that patch implemented two features: enabled creation of read-write  
buffer objects and added readinto method to StringIO.

The resolution was:

"""
The file object's readinto method is not meant for public
use, so adding the method to StringIO is not a good idea.
"""

The read-write buffer part was not discussed, but I guess the  
resolution would be that buffer objects are deprecated, so adding  
features to them is not a good idea.

>
> If you are curious, try adding such a feature to re some time. I
> expect that implementing it would be quite involved. I wonder what
> Fredrik Lundh thinks about providing such a feature.


I would certainly invest some time into that if that feature had a  
chance of being accepted.  At the moment I feel that anything related  
to buffers or buffer protocol is met with strong opposition.  I think  
the opposition is mostly fueled by the belief that buffer objects are  
"unsafe" and buffer protocol is deprecated.  None of these premises  
is correct AFAIK.