[Python-Dev] Mini-Pep: An Empty String ABC

[Jim Jewett]

> So, apart from compatibility purposes, what is the
> point currently of *not* directly subclassing str?

To provide your own storage format, such as a views into existing data.

Whether or not this is actually practical is a different question;
plenty C code tends to assume it can use the internals of str
directly, which breaks on even some subclasses.

-jJ