Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!newsfeed.hal-mli.net!feeder3.hal-mli.net!newsfeed.hal-mli.net!feeder1.hal-mli.net!news-transit.tcx.org.uk!rt.uk.eu.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.028 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.94; '*S*': 0.00; 'correct.': 0.09; 'reply- to:addr:comp.lang.python': 0.09; 'to:addr:comp.lang.python': 0.09; 'valueerror:': 0.09; 'subject:error': 0.09; 'exception': 0.12; 'iterable,': 0.16; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'cc:no real name:2**0': 0.20; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'equally': 0.23; 'string': 0.24; 'saying': 0.26; "i'm": 0.26; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.29; 'error': 0.29; 'correct': 0.29; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.33; 'agree': 0.33; 'probably': 0.34; 'message.': 0.34; 'something': 0.35; 'received:209.85.161': 0.36; 'cc:2**1': 0.36; 'thursday,': 0.37; 'but': 0.37; 'received:google.com': 0.37; 'could': 0.37; 'received:209.85': 0.38; 'useful': 0.38; 'should': 0.39; "it's": 0.40; 'received:209': 0.40; 'more': 0.61; '2011': 0.61; 'subject:day': 0.68; 'header:Reply-To:1': 0.71; 'reply-to:no real name:2**0': 0.72; 'reply-to:addr:googlegroups.com': 0.74 Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 07:33:50 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com Injection-Info: glegroupsg2000goo.googlegroups.com; posting-host=66.114.87.114; posting-account=dAOV_goAAABEUkqpkMcBZ68KkIzfCnsO References: User-Agent: G2/1.0 X-Google-Web-Client: true MIME-Version: 1.0 Subject: Re: Misleading error message of the day From: Roy Smith To: comp.lang.python@googlegroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Cc: python-list@python.org, Roy Smith X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list Reply-To: comp.lang.python@googlegroups.com List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Message-ID: Lines: 8 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1323358433 news.xs4all.nl 6973 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:47995 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:16839 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 but most people would probably agree that it's not the most useful message that could have been produced.