Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!gegeweb.org!news.glorb.com!solaris.cc.vt.edu!news.vt.edu!newsfeed-00.mathworks.com!panix!not-for-mail From: Grant Edwards Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Subject: Re: Misleading error message of the day Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 18:10:17 +0000 (UTC) Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC Lines: 20 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: dsl.comtrol.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: reader1.panix.com 1323367817 3180 64.122.56.22 (8 Dec 2011 18:10:17 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@panix.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 18:10:17 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: slrn/pre0.9.9-102 (Linux) Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:16857 On 2011-12-08, Roy Smith wrote: > On Thursday, December 8, 2011 10:03:38 AM UTC-5, Jean-Michel Pichavant wrote: >> string are iterable, considering this, the error is correct. > > Yes, I understand that the exception is correct. I'm not saying the exception should be changed, just that we have the opportunity to produce a more useful error message. The exception would be equally correct if it was: > > ValueError: you did something wrong My favorite is still the old classic error from and old Unix printer port driver: "lp0 on fire" > but most people would probably agree that it's not the most useful > message that could have been produced. -- Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! Don't hit me!! I'm in at the Twilight Zone!!! gmail.com