[Python-Dev] Pathlib enhancements - acceptable inputs and outputs for __fspath__ and os.fspath()

[Ethan Furman]

On 04/14/2016 05:20 PM, Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:

> However, the proposed polymorphism does create ambiguity and risk for
> my uses.  I rarely have the luxury of *not* ensuring paths are text,
> regardless of the bytes-ness of the underlying application, because I
> can be pretty darn sure that somebody's going to feed me non-
> filesystem encodings, and soon.  Even when I am working with bytes
> representing paths in the filesystem encoding, I need to convert to
> text to read the darn things when debugging!  So I don't consent;
> you'll have to impose it on me.

Hmm.  Well, the good news is you have convinced me that letting bytes 
through willy-nilly is akin to loosing the hounds of hell on our code. 
The bad news is I was never in that camp.  ;)

The camp I'm in is a function* that, be default, will raise if bytes 
enters the picture -- but will allow them through if the user 
specifically says they are okay with getting bytes.

Would that work for you?

--
~Ethan~

*Or pair of functions, one that is str-only, one that allows both -- but 
I'd rather just have one function with a flag.