[Python-Dev] [Python-checkins] cpython: Issue #16592: stringlib_bytes_join doesn't raise MemoryError on allocation

[Nick Coghlan]

On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 6:19 PM, Jeff Allen <"ja...py"@farowl.co.uk> wrote:

>  On 02/12/2012 07:08, Nick Coghlan wrote:
>
> On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 4:56 PM, christian.heimes <
> python-checkins at python.org> wrote:
>
>> ... <http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/9af5a2611202>
>> diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
>> ...
>>
>> +- Issue #16592: stringlib_bytes_join doesn't raise MemoryError on
>> allocation
>> +  failure.
>>
>
> Please don't write NEWS entries in past tense like this - they're
> annoyingly ambiguous, as it isn't clear whether the entry is describing the
> reported problem or the fix for the problem. Describing just the new
> behaviour or the original problem and the fix is much easier to follow. For
> example:
>
>   - Issue #16592: stringlib_bytes_join now correctly raises MemoryError on
> allocation failure.
>   - Issue #16592: stringlib_bytes_join was triggering SystemError on
> allocation failure. It now correctly raises MemoryError.
>
> Issue titles for actual bugs generally don't make good NEWS entries, as
> they're typically a summary of the problem rather than the solution (RFE's
> are different, as there the issue title is often a good summary of the
> proposed change)
>
>   You mean please do (re-)write such statements in the past tense, when
> the news is that the statement is no longer true.
>
> I agree about the ambiguity that arises here, but there's a simple
> alternative to re-writing. Surely all that has been forgotten here is an
> enclosing "The following issues have been resolved:"? I think there's a lot
> to be said for cut and paste of actual titles on grounds of accuracy and
> speed (and perhaps scriptability).
>

Readability matters - ambiguous release notes don't help anyone, and, like
code, release notes are read by many more people than write them.

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia
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