[Python-Dev] cpython (merge 3.3 -> default): Merge with 3.3

[Terry Jan Reedy]

On 5/28/2013 3:39 PM, Antoine Pitrou wrote:
> On Tue, 28 May 2013 15:06:39 -0400
> Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:

>> Yes, Nick suggested README instead of what I had. I want a prefix to
>> keep it near the top of a directory listing even when other non
>> 'test_xxx' files are added. I thing '_' wold be better though.
>
> I don't think "prefixing with a weird character

'_' is not weird for Python names.

> so that the filename show up top" is a very elegant trick,

I disagree. Books have Table of Contents, Preface, and Foreword sections 
at the front for a reason: if they are present, they are easy and 
obvious to find. READMEs are like a preface*, sometimes with an 
annotated Contents. They logically belong at the top for the same reason.

A long title for this how-to file, which I would prefer, would be 
something like
  "_Writing-Testing-Running_Idle_Tests", or
"_Idle_Test-Writing_Guidelines", or
"A_Guide_to_Idle_Tests", or
"An_Idle_Test_HOWTO".


*At least this one is. Some are addenda that have little to do with the 
other files in the directory. They might better have a different name, 
like 'Manual Corrections' (which would sort after 'Manual', where it 
belongs), "Starting the game', 'Windows differences', etc. I don't know 
if 'readme.txt' was common before DOS 8.3 filename limitations, but that 
limit is mostly gone.

I have used this 'trick' for decades. Another file that does not belong 
in the main alpha list is a project-specific template for the .py files 
in a directory.

 > and we don't use it for other  directories.

I think we should. Seriously. Maybe with more descriptive names.

> "README.txt" *will* be easily visible because of the all-caps filename.

Somewhat easy, but only if one thinks to look for it. I only found 4 
used outside of Lib/test/*. Which of the following big directories have 
a README?
/Lib
/Lib/idlelib
/Lib/test
/Tools/scripts

Would it not be easier to discover if the 'preface' file were always at 
or near the top?

> "Rename in hg" -> "hg rename"

Thanks. Found it with Google and read that it works well in hg. I will 
also check if TortoiseHG has an easy gui equivalent (rt click on file to 
rename).

Terry