python-peps/pep-0292.txt

PEP: 292
Title: Simpler String Substitutions
Version: $Revision$
Last-Modified: $Date$
Author: barry@python.org (Barry A. Warsaw)
Status: Draft
Type: Standards Track
Created: 18-Jun-2002
Python-Version: 2.4
Post-History: 18-Jun-2002, 23-Mar-2004


Abstract

    This PEP describes a simpler string substitution feature, also
    known as string interpolation.  This PEP is "simpler" in two
    respects:

    1. Python's current string substitution feature
       (i.e. %-substitution) is complicated and error prone.  This PEP
       is simpler at the cost of some expressiveness.

    2. PEP 215 proposed an alternative string interpolation feature,
       introducing a new `$' string prefix.  PEP 292 is simpler than
       this because it involves no syntax changes and has much simpler
       rules for what substitutions can occur in the string.


Rationale

    Python currently supports a string substitution syntax based on
    C's printf() '%' formatting character[1].  While quite rich,
    %-formatting codes are also error prone, even for
    experienced Python programmers.  A common mistake is to leave off
    the trailing format character, e.g. the `s' in "%(name)s".

    In addition, the rules for what can follow a % sign are fairly
    complex, while the usual application rarely needs such complexity.
    Most scripts need to do some string interpolation, but most of
    those use simple `stringification' formats, i.e. %s or %(name)s
    This form should be made simpler and less error prone.


A Simpler Proposal

    We propose the addition of a new class -- called 'dstring' --
    derived from the built-in unicode type, which supports new rules
    for string substitution.  dstring's value contains placeholders,
    introduced with the $ character.  The following rules for
    $-placeholders apply:

    1. $$ is an escape; it is replaced with a single $

    2. $identifier names a substitution placeholder matching a mapping
       key of "identifier".  By default, "identifier" must spell a
       Python identifier as defined in [2].  The first non-identifier
       character after the $ character terminates this placeholder
       specification.

    3. ${identifier} is equivalent to $identifier.  It is required for
       when valid identifier characters follow the placeholder but are
       not part of the placeholder, e.g. "${noun}ification".

    If the $ character appears at the end of the line, or is followed
    by any other character than those described above, it is treated
    as if it had been escaped, appearing in the resulting string
    unchanged.

    No other characters have special meaning, however it is possible
    to derive from the dstring class to define different rules for the
    placeholder.  For example, a derived class could allow for periods
    in the placeholder (e.g. to support a kind of dynamic namespace
    and attribute path lookup).

    Once the dstring has been created, substitutions can be performed
    using traditional Python syntax.  For example:

        >>> mapping = dict(name='Guido', country='the Netherlands')
        >>> s = dstring('${name} was born in ${country})
        >>> print s % mapping
        Guido was born in the Netherlands


Why `$' and Braces?

    The BDFL said it best: The $ means "substitution" in so many
    languages besides Perl that I wonder where you've been. [...]
    We're copying this from the shell.


Reference Implementation

    A reference implementation is available at [4].  The
    implementation contains the dstring class described above,
    situated in a new standard library package called 'stringlib'.
    Inside the reference implementation stringlib package are a few
    other related nifty tools that aren't described in this PEP.


Comparison to PEP 215

    PEP 215 describes an alternate proposal for string interpolation.
    Unlike that PEP, this one does not propose any new syntax for
    Python.  All the proposed new features are embodied in a new
    library module.  PEP 215 proposes a new string prefix
    representation such as $"" which signal to Python that a new type
    of string is present.  $-strings would have to interact with the
    existing r-prefixes and u-prefixes, essentially doubling the
    number of string prefix combinations.

    PEP 215 also allows for arbitrary Python expressions inside the
    $-strings, so that you could do things like:

        import sys
        print $"sys = $sys, sys = $sys.modules['sys']"

    which would return

        sys = <module 'sys' (built-in)>, sys = <module 'sys' (built-in)>

    It's generally accepted that the rules in PEP 215 are safe in the
    sense that they introduce no new security issues (see PEP 215,
    "Security Issues" for details).  However, the rules are still
    quite complex, and make it more difficult to see the substitution
    placeholder in the original $-string.

    The interesting thing is that the dstring class defined in this
    PEP has nothing to say about the values that are substituted for
    the placeholders.  Thus, with a little extra work, it's possible
    to support PEP 215's functionality using existing Python syntax.

    For example, one could define a subclass of dict that allowed a
    more complex placeholder syntax and a mapping that evaluated those
    placeholders.


Internationalization

    The reference implementation accomplishes this magic by parsing
    the constructor string, transforming $-strings into standard
    Python %-strings.  dstring caches this value and uses it whenever
    the special __mod__() method is called via the % operator.
    However the string value of a dstring is the string that was
    passed to its constructor.

    This approach allows a gettext-based internationalized program to
    use the dstring instance as a lookup into the catalog; in fact
    gettext doesn't care that the catalog key is a dstring.  Because
    the value of the dstring is the original $-string, translators
    also never need to use %-strings.  The right thing will happen at
    run-time.


References

    [1] String Formatting Operations
        http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/typesseq-strings.html

    [2] Identifiers and Keywords
        http://www.python.org/doc/current/ref/identifiers.html

    [3] Guido's python-dev posting from 21-Jul-2002
        http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2002-July/026397.html

    [4] Reference implementation
        http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=922115&group_id=5470&atid=305470


Copyright

    This document has been placed in the public domain.



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