[Python-ideas] Proposing additions to the standard library

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sat, Nov 10, 2018 at 08:36:52PM -0500, Jonathan Crall wrote:
> I'm interested in proposing several additions to the Python standard
> library, and I would like more information on the procedure for doing so.
> Are all additions done via a PEP?

Not necessarily. Small, obvious enhancements can go straight to the 
bug tracker. The tricky part is deciding what is "obvious".

Sometimes there's a good, useful function than doesn't get added because 
there's no reasonable place to put it. For example, a "flatten" function 
has been talked about since Python 1.x days, and we still don't have a 
standard solution for it, because (1) it isn't clear *precisely* what it 
should do, and (2) it isn't clear where it should go.

Given that once something gets added to the std lib, it is hard to 
remove it or even rename it, its better to be conservative about adding 
things and leave it to third party libraries to cover the gaps.


> If not what is the procedure. If so, I've
> read that the first step was to email this board and get feedback.

That's a good idea. If the enhancement request isn't both small and 
obvious, or is the least bit controversial, you'll usually be sent back 
here.


> I have a library called `ubelt` that contains several tools that I think
> might be worthy of adding to the standard library.

Generally speaking, we don't typically add grab-bags of random utility 
functions. There is no "utilities" or "toolbox" module in the std lib.


[...]
> Here is a tentative list of interesting functions. Hopefully the names are
> descriptive (if not, see docstrings: https://github.com/Erotemic/ubelt)

Sorry, some of these aren't descriptive enough, and if you're trying to 
make a pitch for these features, you ought to give at least a 
one-sentence explanation of them here in the email. You will lose half 
your audience as soon as you ask them to click through to a link, and 
even if they do, that risks splitting the discussion across two places.

My advice is to collate the functions you want to add into groups of 
related functionality, find the class or module in the std lib where you 
think they belong, and begin a new thread for each group. E.g. "New dict 
methods", "New importlib functions".


-- 
Steve