[Python-Dev] Convention on functions that shadow existing stdlib functions

[Antoine Pitrou]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:02:32 -0400
Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:
> On 7/29/2011 5:32 PM, Antoine Pitrou wrote:
> > On Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:51:18 -0400
> > Barry Warsaw<barry at python.org>  wrote:
> >> On Jul 29, 2011, at 05:25 PM, Antoine Pitrou wrote:
> >>
> >>>> test.support *is* part of the stdlib.
> >>>
> >>> We have lots of internal APIs which are not documented, though.
> >>> And test.support *is* for internal use.
> >>
> >> The solution then is to rename test.support to test._support to make it clear
> >> it's an internal implementation detail.  Then you can remove the entire
> >> section from the stdlib docs and just document it in the code.
> >
> > Ideally so.
> 
> The effect of this will be to discourage new people (including myself in 
> the category) from writing or reviewing patches.

I'm sorry, can you be more precise. The effect of what?
And why would that be so?