Python Gotcha's?

[Albert van der Horst]

In article <4f7de152$0$29983$c3e8da3$5496439d at news.astraweb.com>,
Steven D'Aprano  <steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info> wrote:
>On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:32:10 -0400, Roy Smith wrote:
>
>> In article <4f7d896f$0$29983$c3e8da3$5496439d at news.astraweb.com>,
>>  Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info> wrote:
>>
>>> > You mean JSON expects a string with valid JSON? Quelle surprise.
>>>
>>> No. The surprise is that there exists a tool invented in the 21st
>>> century that makes a distinction between strings quoted with " and
>>> those quoted with '. Being used to a sensible language like Python, it
>>> boggled my brain the first time I tried to write some JSON and
>>> naturally treated the choice of quote mark as arbitrary.
>>
>> Your brain has a low boggle threshold.
>>
>> There's absolutely no reason why JSON should follow Python syntax rules.
>
>Except for the most important reason of all: Python's use of alternate
>string delimiters is an excellent design, one which Javascript itself
>follows.
>
>http://www.javascripter.net/faq/quotesin.htm
>
>I'm not the only one who has had trouble with JSON's poor design choice:
>
>http://stackoverflow.com/a/4612914
>
>For a 21st century programming language or data format to accept only one
>type of quotation mark as string delimiter is rather like having a 21st
>century automobile with a hand crank to start the engine instead of an
>ignition. Even if there's a good reason for it (which I doubt), it's
>still surprising.
>
>
>> Making it support either kind of quotes would have complicated every
>> JSON library in the world, for no added value.
>
>Ooooh, such complication. I wish my software was that complicated.
>
>The added value includes:
>
>* semantic simplicity -- a string is a string, regardless of which
>  quotes are used for delimiters;
>
>* reducing the number of escaped quotes needed;
>
>* compatibility with Javascript;
>
>* robustness.
>
>As it stands, JSON fails to live up to the Robustness principle and
>Postel's law:
>
>Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send.
>
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robustness_principle
>
>> Nobody should ever be hand-writing JSON
>
>So you say, but it is a fact that people do. And even if they don't hand-
>write it, people do *read* it, and allowing both quotation marks aids
>readability:
>
>"\"Help me Obiwan,\" she said, \"You're my only hope!\""
>
>Blah. You can cut the number of escapes needed to one:
>
>'"Help me Obiwan," she said, "You\'re my only hope!"'

I still think the doubling convention of Algol68 is superior:
"""Help me Obiwan,"" she said, ""You're my only hope!"""

No special treatment of any other symbol than the quote itself.
A quoting symbol is such a devious syntactic element that I rather
not have two ( " ' ) or even three ( " ' \ )

>
>--
>Steven

Groetjes Albert

--
-- 
Albert van der Horst, UTRECHT,THE NETHERLANDS
Economic growth -- being exponential -- ultimately falters.
albert at spe&ar&c.xs4all.nl &=n http://home.hccnet.nl/a.w.m.van.der.horst