[Python-Dev] Deprecate codecs.open() and StreamWriter/StreamReader

[M.-A. Lemburg]

Victor Stinner wrote:
> Le vendredi 27 mai 2011 15:42:10, M.-A. Lemburg a écrit :
>> If we'd go by your reasoning for deprecating and eventually
>> removing parts of the stdlib or Python's subsystems, we'll end
>> up with a barebone version of Python. That's not what we want
>> and it's not what our users want.
> 
> I don't want to deprecate the whole stdlib, just duplicate old API, to follow 
> "import this" mantra:
> 
> "There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it."

What people tend to miss in this mantra is the last part: "obvious".
It doesn't say: there should only be one way to do it. There can
be many ways, but there should preferably be only one *obvious* way.

Using codec.open() is not obvious in Python3, since the standard
open() already provides a way to access an encoded stream. Using
a builtin is the obvious way to go.

It is obvious in Python2 where the standard open() doesn't provide a
way to define an encoding, so the user has to explicitly look for this
kind of API and then find it in the "obvious" (to some extent)
codecs module, since that's where encodings happen in Python2.

Having multiple ways to do things, is the most natural thing
on earth and it's good that way.

Python does not and should not force people into doing things
in one dictated "right" way. It should, however, provide
natural choices and obvious hints to find a good solution.
And that's what the Zen mantra is all about.

> It's difficult for an user to choose between between open() and codecs.open().

As I mentioned on the ticket and in my replies: I'm not against
changing codecs.open() to use a variant that is based on TextIOWrapper,
provided there are no user noticeable compatibility issues.

Thanks for reverting the patch.

Have a nice weekend,
-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

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