On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 2:09 PM, Antoine Pitrou <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
..
>> > Well, the problem is that the "appropriate test" is not easy to guess a priori, so it would
>> > be useful for the stdlib to provide the right tool for the job.
>>
>> This sounds like an argument against this feature, not for it.  If it
>> is hard for the application code to implement an appropriate test "a
>> priori", what is the chance to get it right in stdlib?
>
> The point of a standard library is to bring together competence and
> experience to build a common ground of useful functions. If we
> restricted ourselves to easy things then 75% of the stdlib should be
> ripped out.
>

It looks like I misunderstood what you said.  I thought "a priory"
meant without knowing the details of the application rather than "by a
novice."