[Python-Dev] Why does base64 return bytes?

[Mark Lawrence]

On 14/06/2016 16:51, Paul Moore wrote:
> On 14 June 2016 at 16:19, Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> wrote:
>> Why does base64 encoding in Python return bytes?
>
> I seem to recall there was a debate about this around the time of the
> Python 3 move. (IIRC, it was related to the fact that there used to be
> a base64 "codec", that wasn't available in Python 3 because it wasn't
> clear whether it converted bytes to text or bytes). I don't remember
> any of the details, let alone if a conclusion was reached, but a
> search of the archives may find something.
>
> Paul
>

As I've the time to play detective I'd suggest 
https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-3000/2007-July/008975.html

-- 
My fellow Pythonistas, ask not what our language can do for you, ask
what you can do for our language.

Mark Lawrence