[Python-ideas] New pattern-matching library (was: str.split with multiple individual split characters)

[Guido van Rossum]

On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 12:25 PM, Tal Einat <taleinat at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 9:53 PM, geremy condra <debatem1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> It's unfortunate that there isn't a good way to do this kind of
>> long-range work within the auspices of Python. I can imagine a number
>> of projects like this that fail to attract interest due to low
>> perceived chances of success and a dearth of community feedback.
>
> Once a good library had a solid foundation, it could plug itself into some
> widely used Python programs and gain publicity and support from there,
> before pushing for inclusion in the stdlib.
>
> A good example is Django's URL mapping, which currently uses regexps. I
> think it would be possible to get Django to support an alternate pattern
> matching method, in addition to regexps, since this would make learning
> Django easier for developers who don't grok regexps.

Ah, but geremy is complaining about work that cannot be done as a
library, e.g. syntax changes. This is because I suggested a better
approach to matching would probably require syntax changes. I don't
have an answer -- it may be easier to create a whole new language and
experiment with matching syntax than it is to get a PEP approved for a
matching syntax extension to Python... That's just how it goes for
mature languages. Try getting new syntax added to C++, Java or
JavaScript... :-)

-- 
--Guido van Rossum (python.org/~guido)