On 11.02.16 10:22, Georg Brandl wrote:
Abstract and Rationale
======================

This PEP proposes to extend Python's syntax so that underscores can be used in
integral, floating-point and complex number literals.

This is a common feature of other modern languages, and can aid readability of
long literals, or literals whose value should clearly separate into parts, such
as bytes or words in hexadecimal notation.

I have strong preference for more strict and simpler rule, used by most other languages -- "only between two digits". Main arguments:

1. Simple rule is easier to understand, remember and recognize. I care not about the complexity of the implementation (there is no large difference), but about cognitive complexity.

2. Most languages use this rule. It is better to follow non-formal standard that invent the rule that differs from rules in every other language. This will help programmers that use multiple languages.

I have provided an alternative patch and can provide an alternative PEP if it is needed.

The production list for integer literals would therefore look like this::

    integer: decimalinteger | octinteger | hexinteger | bininteger
    decimalinteger: nonzerodigit (digit | "_")* | "0" ("0" | "_")*
    nonzerodigit: "1"..."9"
    digit: "0"..."9"
    octinteger: "0" ("o" | "O") "_"* octdigit (octdigit | "_")*

    octinteger: "0" ("o" | "O") octdigit (["_"] octdigit)*

    hexinteger: "0" ("x" | "X") "_"* hexdigit (hexdigit | "_")*

    hexinteger: "0" ("x" | "X") hexdigit (["_"] hexdigit)*

    bininteger: "0" ("b" | "B") "_"* bindigit (bindigit | "_")*

    bininteger: "0" ("b" | "B") bindigit (["_"] bindigit)*

    octdigit: "0"..."7"
    hexdigit: digit | "a"..."f" | "A"..."F"
    bindigit: "0" | "1"

For floating-point and complex literals::

    floatnumber: pointfloat | exponentfloat
    pointfloat: [intpart] fraction | intpart "."
    exponentfloat: (intpart | pointfloat) exponent
    intpart: digit (digit | "_")*

    intpart: digit (["_"] digit)*

    fraction: "." intpart
    exponent: ("e" | "E") ["+" | "-"] intpart
    imagnumber: (floatnumber | intpart) ("j" | "J")

**Group 1: liberal**

This group is the least homogeneous: the rules vary slightly between languages.
All of them allow trailing underscores.  Some allow underscores after non-digits
like the ``e`` or the sign in exponents.

* D [2]_
* Perl 5 (underscores basically allowed anywhere, although docs say it's more
   restricted) [3]_
* Rust (allows between exponent sign and digits) [4]_
* Swift (although textual description says "between digits") [5]_

**Group 2: only between digits, multiple consecutive underscores**

* C# (open proposal for 7.0) [6]_
* Java [7]_

**Group 3: only between digits, only one underscore**

* Ada [8]_
* Julia (but not in the exponent part of floats) [9]_
* Ruby (docs say "anywhere", in reality only between digits) [10]_

This classification is misleading. The difference between groups 2 and 3 is less then between different languages in group 1. To be fair, groups 2 and 3 should be united in one group. C++ should be included in this group. Perl 5 and Swift should be either included in both groups or excluded from any group, because they have inconsistencies between the documentation and the implementation or between different parts of the documentation.

With correct classification it is obvious what variant is the most popular.


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