[Python-ideas] Is there a good reason to use * for multiplication?

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Mike Graham writes:

 > IMO it's essential that we add source code escapes. Imagine the
 > one-liners this will allow!
 > 
 >     def f(xs):\n\ttry:\n\t\treturn x.pop()\n\texcept ValueError\n\t\treturn None
 > 
 > Can we get this fix applied in Python 2.2 and up?

Why not go all the way back to v1.5.2?  All it takes is a version bump
to v1j.5.2.