

How I learned to love Python’s str.format, and gave up on % - reuven
http://blog.lerner.co.il/teaching-old-dog-new-tricks-learned-love-str-format-gave/

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ggchappell
I too have become fond of str.format. OTOH, I'm sure there are people
complaining about it. And the fact is that their complaints have merit, no
matter how awesome str.format may be.

printf and shell-style variable interpolation have been with us for a long
time, and they're not going away any time soon. Learning how to use them is
time well spent. If someone copies either of these interfaces, then
immediately lots of people know how to use the result.

But str.format is only for Python. I doubt anyone is going to clone it in some
other language (prove me wrong!). Now, _I_ use Python often enough that I
don't forget how str.format works between times I need to use it. But for many
people, it's just annoying.

In any case, a nice article. I learned a couple of new tricks to try.

~~~
reuven
Yeah, the fact that str.format is unique to Python, and isn't Python, is a
problem. It doesn't matter how thoughtfully designed that mini-language is.
Fortunately, the basics are simple enough that you can get your head around it
rather quickly (as I've learned).

