[Python-ideas] PEP 8: raw strings & regular expressions

[Alexander Walters]

On 10/23/2015 14:40, Ned Batchelder wrote:
> On 10/22/15 6:56 PM, Yury Selivanov wrote:
>> In principle, there is no reason why *both* of these groups
>> of users can't use one tool and be happy.  I propose to
>> establish a convention in PEP 8, explaining that, while both
>> literals are semantically equivalent,
>>
>> - r'..' strings *should* be used for regexps,
>>
>> - R'..' strings *should* be used for unstyled raw strings,
>>
>> and tools *should* treat them as such.
>>
>> All of this is merely about codifying the current status quo. 
> But you are not codifying the status quo.  The distinction you are 
> proposing is one that you have invented.  I have never used R"" strings.
>
> I think the best solution to the problem is to improve the 
> highlighters, and luckily you have written one!  To me, it is clear 
> which of these strings is the regex:
>
>     r"\d+"
>     r"\dir"
>
> If the highlighters tried some heuristics, they could do a better job 
> "being helpful" by making better guesses about the meaning of 
> programs.  I don't mind when highlighters make wrong guesses, as long 
> as they don't ruin the entire rest of the file.  But better guesses 
> will be better. :)
>
> --Ned.
>

it should be noted that most regexes are also valid paths on NTFS. is 
r'\dir[a-zA-Z0-9]\\' a path or a regex?

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