[Python-Dev] Why does base64 return bytes?

[Paul Moore]

On 15 June 2016 at 13:53, Daniel Holth <dholth at gmail.com> wrote:
> In that case could we just add a base64_text() method somewhere? Who would
> like to measure whether it would be a win?

"Just adding" a method in the stdlib, means we'd have to support it
long term (backward compatibility). So by the time such an experiment
determined whether it was worth it, it'd be too late.

Finding out whether users/projects typically write such a helper
function for themselves would be a better way of getting this
information. Personally, I suspect they don't, but facts beat
speculation.

Of course, "not every one liner needs to be a stdlib function" applies here too.

Paul