[Python-Dev] PEP 461 Final?

[Neil Schemenauer]

Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> wrote:
>> To properly handle int and float subclasses, int(), index(), and float()
>> will be called on the objects intended for (d, i, u), (b, o, x, X), and
>> (e, E, f, F, g, G).
>
>
> -1 on this idea.
>
> This is a rather large violation of the principle of least surprise, and 
> radically different from the behaviour of Python 3 str. In Python 3, 
> '%d' interpolation calls the __str__ method, so if you subclass, you can 
> get the behaviour you want:
>
> py> class HexInt(int):
> ...     def __str__(self):
> ...             return hex(self)
> ...
> py> "%d" % HexInt(23)
> '0x17'
>
>
> which is exactly what we should expect from a subclass.
>
> You're suggesting that bytes should ignore any custom display 
> implemented by subclasses, and implicitly coerce them to the superclass 
> int. What is the justification for this? You don't define or even 
> describe what you consider "properly handle".

The proposed behavior (at least as I understand it and as I've
implemented in my proposed patch) matches Python 2 str/unicode and
Python 3 str behavior for these codes.  If you want to allow
subclasses to have control or to use duck-typing, you have to use
str and __format__.  I'm okay with the limitation, bytes formatting
can be simple, limited and fast.

  Neil