[Python-Dev] Should we move to replace re with regex?

[Ben Finney]

Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> writes:

> Ben Finney wrote:
> > "M.-A. Lemburg" <mal at egenix.com> writes:
>
> >> No, you tell them: "If you want Unicode 6 semantics, use regex, if
> >> you're fine with Unicode 2.0/3.0 semantics, use re".
> >
> > What do we say, then, to those who are unaware of the different
> > semantics between those versions of Unicode, and want regular expression
> > to “just work” in Python?
> >
> > To which document can we direct them to understand what semantics they
> > want?
>
> Presumably, like all modules, both the re and the regex module will
> have their own individual pages in the library reference.

My question is directed more to M-A Lemburg's passage above, and its
implicit assumption that the user understand the changes between
“Unicode 2.0/3.0 semantics” and “Unicode 6 semantics”, and how their own
needs relate to those semantics.

For programmers who know they want to follow Unicode conventions in
Python, but don't know the distinction M-A Lemburg is drawing, to which
document does he recommend we direct them?

“The Unicode specification document in its various versions” isn't a
feasible answer.

-- 
 \     “Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.” —Pablo |
  `\                                                           Picasso |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney