[Python-Dev] PEP 461: Adding % formatting to bytes and bytearray -- Final, Take 2

[Antoine Pitrou]

On Sat, 22 Feb 2014 17:56:50 -0800
Ethan Furman <ethan at stoneleaf.us> wrote:
> 
> ``%a`` will call :func:``ascii()`` on the interpolated value's :func:``repr()``.
> This is intended as a debugging aid, rather than something that should be used
> in production.  Non-ascii values will be encoded to either ``\xnn`` or ``\unnnn``
> representation.

Why is "%a" here? I don't remember: was this discussed before?
"Intended as a debugging aid" sounds like a weak justification to me.

Regards

Antoine.