Python 2.7: replace method of string object deprecated

Question

My "workmates" just told me that the replace method of the string object was deprecated and will be removed in 3.xx.

May I ask you if it's true, why, and if so, how to replace it (with examples)?

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

The documentation of 3.2 says nothing about that the replace method of the str type should be removed. I also see no reason why someone should do that.

What was removed is the replace function in the string module.

An example:

"bla".replace("a", "b")

calls the replace method of the str type.

string.replace("bla", "a", "b")

calls the replace function of the string module.

Maybe this is what your workmates mixed up. Using the string module function is a very, very old way to do this stuff in Python. They are deprecated beginning with Python 2.0(!). I am not so good in the history of Python, but I guess probably right when they have introduced object-oriented concepts into the language.

Answer 2

As far as I understand those deprecation warnings in http://docs.python.org/library/string.html#deprecated-string-functions , only the functions are deprecated. The methods are not.

e.g. if you use:

s = 'test'
string.replace(s, 'est', '')

you should replace it with

s.replace('est', '')