[Python-Dev] PEP 414

[Steven D'Aprano]

Vinay Sajip wrote:
> Serhiy Storchaka <storchaka <at> gmail.com> writes:
> 
> 
>> n = str
> 
> Well, n to indicate that native string is required.

str indicates the native string type, because it *is* the native string type. 
By definition, str = str in both Python 2.x and Python 3.x. There's no point 
in aliasing it to "n".

Besides, "n" is commonly used for ints. It would be disturbing for me to read 
code with n a function or type, particularly one that returns a string.

I think your suggestion is not well explained. You suggested a function n, 
expected to take a string literal. The example you gave earlier was:

n('xxx')

But it seems to me that this is a no-op, because 'xxx' is already the native 
string type. In Python 2, it gives a str (byte-string), which the n() function 
converts to a byte-string. In Python 3, it gives a str (unicode-string), which 
the n() function converts to a unicode-string.



-- 
Steven