[Python-ideas] String Subtraction

[Mike Meyer]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:58:52 +0000
Dave Jakeman <davejakeman at hotmail.com> wrote:
> I'm new to Python and this is my first suggestion, so please bear with me:
> 
> I believe there is a simple but useful string operation missing from Python: subtraction.  This is best described by way of example:
> 
> >>> "Mr Nesbit has learnt the first lesson of not being seen." - "Nesbit "
> 'Mr has learnt the first lesson of not being seen.'
> >>> "Can't have egg, bacon, spam and sausage without the spam." - " spam"
> 'Can't have egg, bacon, and sausage without the spam.'
> >>> "I'll bite your legs off!" - "arms"
> 'I'll bite your legs off!'
> 
> If b and c were strings, then:
> 
> a = b - c
> 
> would be equivalent to:

The existing construct a = b.replace(c, '', 1)

The problem isn't that it's non-intuitive (there's only one intuitive
interface, and it's got nothing to do with computers), it's that there
are a wealth of "intuitive" meanings. A case can be made that it
should mean the same as any of thise:

a = b.replace(c, '')
a = b.replace(c, ' ', 1)
a = b.replace(c, ' ')

For that matter, it might also mean the same thing as any of these:

a = re.sub(r'\s*%s\s*' % c, '', b, 1)
a = re.sub(r'\s*%s\s*' % c, '', b)
a = re.sub(r'\s*%s\s*' % c, ' ', b, 1)
a = re.sub(r'\s*%s\s*' % c, ' ', b)
a = re.sub(r'%s\s*' % c, '', b, 1)
a = re.sub(r'%s\s*' % c, '', b)
a = re.sub(r'%s\s*' % c, ' ', b, 1)
a = re.sub(r'%s\s*' % c, ' ', b)
a = re.sub(r'\s*%s' % c, '', b, 1)
a = re.sub(r'\s*%s' % c, '', b)
a = re.sub(r'\s*%s' % c, ' ', b, 1)
a = re.sub(r'\s*%s' % c, ' ', b)

Unless you can make a clear case as to why exactly one of those cases
is different enough from the others to warrant a syntax all it's own,
It's probably best to be explicit about the desired behavior.

     <mike
-- 
Mike Meyer <mwm at mired.org>		http://www.mired.org/consulting.html
Independent Network/Unix/Perforce consultant, email for more information.

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