Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

[Stefan Scholl]

After an hour searching for a potential bug in XML parsing
(PyXML), after updating from 2.4 to 2.5, I found this one:


$ python2.5
Python 2.5 (release25-maint, Dec 9 2006, 14:35:53)
[GCC 4.1.2 20061115 (prerelease) (Debian 4.1.1-20)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright" , "credits" or "license" for more information.

>>import StringIO
>>x = StringIO.String IO(u"m\xf6p")
>>import cStringIO
>>x = cStringIO.Strin gIO(u"m\xf6p")

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
UnicodeEncodeEr ror: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\xf6' in position 1: ordinal not in range(128)

>>>

$ python
Python 2.4.4 (#2, Apr 5 2007, 20:11:18)
[GCC 4.1.2 20061115 (prerelease) (Debian 4.1.1-21)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright" , "credits" or "license" for more information.

>>import StringIO
>>x = StringIO.String IO(u"m\xf6p")
>>import cStringIO
>>x = cStringIO.Strin gIO(u"m\xf6p")
>>>

OK, that's why my code was fine with Python 2.4 and breaks with
2.5.

{sigh}


--
Web (en): http://www.no-spoon.de/ -*- Web (de): http://www.frell.de/

[Stefan Behnel]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Scholl wrote:

After an hour searching for a potential bug in XML parsing
(PyXML), after updating from 2.4 to 2.5, I found this one:
>
$ python2.5
Python 2.5 (release25-maint, Dec 9 2006, 14:35:53)
[GCC 4.1.2 20061115 (prerelease) (Debian 4.1.1-20)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright" , "credits" or "license" for more information.

>>>import StringIO
>>>x = StringIO.String IO(u"m\xf6p")
>>>import cStringIO
>>>x = cStringIO.Strin gIO(u"m\xf6p")

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
UnicodeEncodeEr ror: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\xf6' in position 1: ordinal not in range(128)
$ python
Python 2.4.4 (#2, Apr 5 2007, 20:11:18)
[GCC 4.1.2 20061115 (prerelease) (Debian 4.1.1-21)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright" , "credits" or "license" for more information.

>>>import StringIO
>>>x = StringIO.String IO(u"m\xf6p")
>>>import cStringIO
>>>x = cStringIO.Strin gIO(u"m\xf6p")

>
>
OK, that's why my code was fine with Python 2.4 and breaks with
2.5.

It wasn't fine with 2.4 either:

"""
Unlike the memory files implemented by the StringIO module, those provided by
this module are not able to accept Unicode strings that cannot be encoded as
plain ASCII strings.
"""

http://docs.python.org/lib/module-cStringIO.html

Read the docs...

Stefan

[Stefan Scholl]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

Stefan Scholl wrote:

>After an hour searching for a potential bug in XML parsing
>(PyXML), after updating from 2.4 to 2.5, I found this one:
>>
>$ python2.5
>Python 2.5 (release25-maint, Dec 9 2006, 14:35:53)
>[GCC 4.1.2 20061115 (prerelease) (Debian 4.1.1-20)] on linux2
>Type "help", "copyright" , "credits" or "license" for more information.

>>>>import StringIO
>>>>x = StringIO.String IO(u"m\xf6p")
>>>>import cStringIO
>>>>x = cStringIO.Strin gIO(u"m\xf6p")

>Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
>UnicodeEncodeE rror: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\xf6' in position 1: ordinal not in range(128)
>$ python
>Python 2.4.4 (#2, Apr 5 2007, 20:11:18)
>[GCC 4.1.2 20061115 (prerelease) (Debian 4.1.1-21)] on linux2
>Type "help", "copyright" , "credits" or "license" for more information.

>>>>import StringIO
>>>>x = StringIO.String IO(u"m\xf6p")
>>>>import cStringIO
>>>>x = cStringIO.Strin gIO(u"m\xf6p")

>>
>>
>OK, that's why my code was fine with Python 2.4 and breaks with
>2.5.

>
It wasn't fine with 2.4 either:

Worked in my test, a few lines above ...

>
"""
Unlike the memory files implemented by the StringIO module, those provided by
this module are not able to accept Unicode strings that cannot be encoded as
plain ASCII strings.
"""
>

http://docs.python.org/lib/module-cStringIO.html

>
Read the docs...

Well, http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.sax.html is missing
the fact, that I can't use Unicode with parseString().

This parseString() uses cStringIO.



--
Web (en): http://www.no-spoon.de/ -*- Web (de): http://www.frell.de/

[Stefan Behnel]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Scholl wrote:

Well, http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.sax.html is missing
the fact, that I can't use Unicode with parseString().
>
This parseString() uses cStringIO.

Well, Python unicode is not a valid *byte* encoding for XML.

lxml.etree can parse unicode, if you really want, but otherwise, you should
maybe stick to well-formed XML.

Stefan

[Stefan Scholl]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

Stefan Scholl wrote:

>Well, http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.sax.html is missing
>the fact, that I can't use Unicode with parseString().
>>
>This parseString() uses cStringIO.

>
Well, Python unicode is not a valid *byte* encoding for XML.
>
lxml.etree can parse unicode, if you really want, but otherwise, you should
maybe stick to well-formed XML.

The XML is well-formed. Works perfect in Python 2.4 with Python
unicode and Python sax parser.

This stays all inside Python.

[Stefan Behnel]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Scholl wrote:

Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

>Stefan Scholl wrote:

>>Well, http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.sax.html is missing
>>the fact, that I can't use Unicode with parseString().
>>>
>>This parseString() uses cStringIO.

>Well, Python unicode is not a valid *byte* encoding for XML.
>>
>lxml.etree can parse unicode, if you really want, but otherwise, you should
>maybe stick to well-formed XML.

>
The XML is well-formed. Works perfect in Python 2.4 with Python
unicode and Python sax parser.

The XML is *not* well-formed if you pass Python unicode instead of a byte
encoded string. Read the XML spec.

It would be well-formed if you added the proper XML declaration, but that is
system specific (UCS-4 or UTF-16, BE or LE). So don't even try.

Stefan

[Stefan Scholl]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

Stefan Scholl wrote:

>Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

>>Stefan Scholl wrote:
>>>Well, http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.sax.html is missing
>>>the fact, that I can't use Unicode with parseString().
>>>>
>>>This parseString() uses cStringIO.
>>Well, Python unicode is not a valid *byte* encoding for XML.
>>>
>>lxml.etree can parse unicode, if you really want, but otherwise, you should
>>maybe stick to well-formed XML.

>>
>The XML is well-formed. Works perfect in Python 2.4 with Python
>unicode and Python sax parser.

>
The XML is *not* well-formed if you pass Python unicode instead of a byte
encoded string. Read the XML spec.
>
It would be well-formed if you added the proper XML declaration, but that is
system specific (UCS-4 or UTF-16, BE or LE). So don't even try.

Who cares? I'm not calling any external tools.

Python should know its own strings.

[Stefan Behnel]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Scholl wrote:

Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

>Stefan Scholl wrote:

>>Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:
>>>Stefan Scholl wrote:
>>>>Well, http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.sax.html is missing
>>>>the fact, that I can't use Unicode with parseString().
>>>>>
>>>>This parseString() uses cStringIO.
>>>Well, Python unicode is not a valid *byte* encoding for XML.
>>>>
>>>lxml.etree can parse unicode, if you really want, but otherwise, you should
>>>maybe stick to well-formed XML.
>>The XML is well-formed. Works perfect in Python 2.4 with Python
>>unicode and Python sax parser.

>The XML is *not* well-formed if you pass Python unicode instead of a byte
>encoded string. Read the XML spec.
>>
>It would be well-formed if you added the proper XML declaration, but that is
>system specific (UCS-4 or UTF-16, BE or LE). So don't even try.

>
Who cares? I'm not calling any external tools.

XML cares. If you want to work with something that is not XML, do not expect
XML tools to help you do it. XML tools work with XML, and there is a spec that
says what XML is. Your string is not XML.

Stefan

[Stefan Scholl]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

Stefan Scholl wrote:

>Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

>>Stefan Scholl wrote:
>>>Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:
>>>>Stefan Scholl wrote:
>>>>>Well, http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.sax.html is missing
>>>>>the fact, that I can't use Unicode with parseString().
>>>>>>
>>>>>This parseString() uses cStringIO.
>>>>Well, Python unicode is not a valid *byte* encoding for XML.
>>>>>
>>>>lxml.etre e can parse unicode, if you really want, but otherwise, you should
>>>>maybe stick to well-formed XML.
>>>The XML is well-formed. Works perfect in Python 2.4 with Python
>>>unicode and Python sax parser.
>>The XML is *not* well-formed if you pass Python unicode instead of a byte
>>encoded string. Read the XML spec.
>>>
>>It would be well-formed if you added the proper XML declaration, but that is
>>system specific (UCS-4 or UTF-16, BE or LE). So don't even try.

>>
>Who cares? I'm not calling any external tools.

>
XML cares. If you want to work with something that is not XML, do not expect
XML tools to help you do it. XML tools work with XML, and there is a spec that
says what XML is. Your string is not XML.

This isn't some sophisticated XML tool that tells me the string
is wrong. It's a changed behavior of cStringIO that throws an
exception. While I'm just using the method parseString() of
xml.sax.

We both repeat ourselves. I don't think this thread brings
something new.


I'm all for correct XML and hate XML bozos. But there are limits
you have to learn after a few years.

[Stefan Scholl]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Behnel <stefan.behne l-n05pAM@web.dewr ote:

The XML is *not* well-formed if you pass Python unicode instead of a byte
encoded string. Read the XML spec.

Pointers, please.

Last time I read that part of the spec was when a customer's
consulting company switched to ISO-8859-15 without saying
something beforehand. The old code (PHP) I have to maintain
couldn't deal with it.

It was wrong to switch encoding without telling somebody about
it. And a XML processor isn't required to support ISO-8859-15.
But I thought it was too embarrassing not to support this
encoding. I fixed that part without making a fuss.


A Python XML processor that can't handle the own encoding is
embarrassing. It isn't required to support it. It would be OK if
it wouldn't support UTF-7. But a parseString() method that
doesn't want Python strings? No way!


--
Web (en): http://www.no-spoon.de/ -*- Web (de): http://www.frell.de/

[Stefan Scholl]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Chris Mellon <arkanes@gmail. comwrote:

On 7/28/07, Stefan Scholl <stesch@no-spoon.dewrote:

>Just checked on a system without PyXML: xml/sax/__init__.py
>defines parseString() and uses cStringIO (when available).
>>
>Python 2.5.1
>>

>
Yes, thats the fixed bug. After all this you still do not seem to be
clear on what the bug is. The bug is not that your code fails in 2.5,
it's that it worked at all in 2.4.

Don't let the subject line fool you. I'm OK with cStringIO. The
thread is now about xml.sax's parseString().


--
Web (en): http://www.no-spoon.de/ -*- Web (de): http://www.frell.de/

[Stefan Behnel]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Scholl wrote:

Chris Mellon <arkanes@gmail. comwrote:

>On 7/28/07, Stefan Scholl <stesch@no-spoon.dewrote:

>>Just checked on a system without PyXML: xml/sax/__init__.py
>>defines parseString() and uses cStringIO (when available).
>>>
>>Python 2.5.1
>>>

>Yes, thats the fixed bug. After all this you still do not seem to be
>clear on what the bug is. The bug is not that your code fails in 2.5,
>it's that it worked at all in 2.4.

>
Don't let the subject line fool you. I'm OK with cStringIO. The
thread is now about xml.sax's parseString().

.... which works correctly with Python 2.5 and was broken before.

Stefan

[Michael L Torrie]

Re: Any reason why cStringIO in 2.5 behaves different from 2.4?

Stefan Scholl wrote:

Don't let the subject line fool you. I'm OK with cStringIO. The
thread is now about xml.sax's parseString().

Giving you the benefit of the doubt here, despite the fact that Stefan
Behnel has state this over and over again and you just haven't listened.

xml.sax's use of parseString() is exactly correct. xml.sax should
*never* parse python unicode strings as by definition XML must be
encoded as a *byte stream*, which is what a python string is.

A python /unicode/ string could be held internally in any number of
ways, 2, 3, 4, or even 8 bytes per character if the implementation
demanded it (a bit contrived, I admit). Since the xml parser is only
ever intended to parse *XML*, why should it ever know what to do with
python unicode strings, which could be stored any number of ways, making
byte-parsing impossible.

So your code is faulty in its assumptions, not xml.sax.

>
>