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classification
Title: int and float should detect inconsistent format strings
Type: behavior Stage: patch review
Components: Interpreter Core Versions: Python 3.5
process
Status: open Resolution:
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: Nosy List: christian.heimes, eric.smith, ezio.melotti, mark.dickinson, r.david.murray
Priority: normal Keywords: patch

Created on 2013-02-19 22:24 by christian.heimes, last changed 2022-04-11 14:57 by admin.

Files
File name Uploaded Description Edit
issue17247.diff skrah, 2013-05-29 22:02 review
Messages (7)
msg182447 - (view) Author: Christian Heimes (christian.heimes) * (Python committer) Date: 2013-02-19 22:24
>>> "{:<06}".format(1.2)
'1.2000'
>>> "{:<06}".format(decimal.Decimal(1.2))
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ValueError: invalid format string
msg182449 - (view) Author: Stefan Krah (skrah) * (Python committer) Date: 2013-02-19 22:34
3.2 has a better error message:

>>> "{:<06}".format(Decimal("1.2"))
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/usr/lib/python3.2/decimal.py", line 3632, in __format__
    spec = _parse_format_specifier(specifier, _localeconv=_localeconv)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.2/decimal.py", line 5600, in _parse_format_specifier
    "format specifier: " + format_spec)
ValueError: Alignment conflicts with '0' in format specifier: <06


That's because '0' already has a special meaning:

"Preceding the width field by a zero ('0') character enables sign-aware zero-padding for numeric types. This is equivalent to a fill character of '0' with an alignment type of '='."
msg182450 - (view) Author: Christian Heimes (christian.heimes) * (Python committer) Date: 2013-02-19 22:36
The output is from Python 3.3. Why has Python 3.3 a less informative error message than 3.2?

I also wonder why it works with floats if it has a special meaning? Either float or Decimal is broken.
msg182451 - (view) Author: Stefan Krah (skrah) * (Python committer) Date: 2013-02-19 22:50
Christian Heimes <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
> The output is from Python 3.3. Why has Python 3.3 a less informative error message than 3.2?

Because the error is discovered in libmpdec and it would require a significant
amount of work to provide fine-grained error messages.

> I also wonder why it works with floats if it has a special meaning?
> Either float or Decimal is broken.

Yes, IMO float should detect the ambiguity. You see that the zero implies left
padding:

>>> "{:06}".format(1.2)
'0001.2'

And in case of a conflict right padding wins:

>>> "{:<06}".format(1.2)
'1.2000'

The unambiguous way to get right padding is:

>>> "{:0<6}".format(Decimal("1.2"))
'1.2000'

>>> "{:X<6}".format(Decimal("1.2"))
'1.2XXX'
msg182452 - (view) Author: Stefan Krah (skrah) * (Python committer) Date: 2013-02-19 23:26
With int and float it's also possible to specify both conflicting
alignments and fill characters:


 >>> "{:x<06}".format(1.2)
'1.2xxx'


So I really think that the builtins should be changed to detect
the conflict.
msg190331 - (view) Author: Stefan Krah (skrah) * (Python committer) Date: 2013-05-29 22:02
With this patch float and int should behave like Decimal. It may
break existing code that (accidentally) uses both legacy zero padding
and explicit alignment.
msg240391 - (view) Author: R. David Murray (r.david.murray) * (Python committer) Date: 2015-04-09 21:08
This would need a deprecation preriod if we want to do it.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:57:42adminsetgithub: 61449
2015-04-09 21:08:28r.david.murraysetnosy: + r.david.murray

messages: + msg240391
versions: + Python 3.5, - Python 3.4
2014-10-14 16:40:53skrahsetnosy: - skrah
2013-05-29 22:02:21skrahsetfiles: + issue17247.diff
versions: - Python 3.3
messages: + msg190331

keywords: + patch
stage: needs patch -> patch review
2013-02-20 01:31:08eric.smithsetnosy: + eric.smith
2013-02-19 23:26:09skrahsetassignee: skrah ->
messages: + msg182452
components: + Interpreter Core
title: Decimal doesn't support aligned fill -> int and float should detect inconsistent format strings
2013-02-19 22:50:00skrahsetmessages: + msg182451
2013-02-19 22:36:36christian.heimessetmessages: + msg182450
2013-02-19 22:34:53skrahsetmessages: + msg182449
2013-02-19 22:26:59ezio.melottisetnosy: + mark.dickinson, ezio.melotti

stage: needs patch
2013-02-19 22:24:53christian.heimescreate