[Python-ideas] `to_file()` method for strings

[Sven R. Kunze]

On 23.03.2016 05:35, Thomas Nyberg wrote:
> Not to knock too much on R, but this kind of thing was one of the 
> things I always really hated about that language. Separating the 
> operations of converting a string and then 
> writing/printing/sending/etc. that string is just so much more flexible.

and inconvenient.

I am no social scientist but I share the sentiment.

bash:  echo "my string" >> my_file
python: with open('my_file', 'w') as f: f.write('my string')

Hmm. Python actually is best at avoiding special characters but 
regarding files, it's still on the level of C.

> It reminds me of the many objects I worked with in R that had natural 
> print methods, but did not have natural conversions to strings (at 
> least nowhere near as easy as it should have been). There were so many 
> times that having the operations as separate steps (e.g. having print 
> just call call __str__() or whatever) is so much better.
>

Maybe, I am missed that but when did Nick talk about non-string to be 
written to a file?

> I understand the argument that it feels more natural to certain 
> people, but it really incentivizes bad design imo.

I disagree. It incentivizes good design as it forces you to prepare 1) 
your file name and 2) your data properly and 3) you don't "invent" 
self-proclaimed-but-not-really atomic writes.

I can tell you from my experience with several aged Python developers 
that they regularly fail to implement atomic file operations. Just saying.

> Definitely a big -1 from me.

+1 from me.

Best,
Sven