python / python/cpython

`pprint(..., expand=True)`'s "best effort" for adhering to `width=...` seems not very "best"

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sprint stdlib type-feature
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Feature or enhancement

Proposal:

was playing around with this both for a pytest improvement and for a video -- and noticed that the width setting doesn't seem to play all that well with expand=True -- perhaps the width calculation is actually based on the old algorithm? (haven't looked closely yet)

import pprint

obj = {'a' * 12: 1, 'b' * 20: 2, 'c' * 30: {'d' * 5: 3, 'e' * 40: 3}}

pprint.pprint(obj)
print('===')
pprint.pprint(obj, expand=True)

this is the current output on an 80 character terminal (I've added newlines where natural wrapping occurs in the terminal)

$ python3.15 t.py 
{'aaaaaaaaaaaa': 1,
 'bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb': 2,
 'cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc': {'ddddd': 3,
                                    'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee': 
3}}
===
{
 'aaaaaaaaaaaa': 1,
 'bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb': 2,
 'cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc': {'ddddd': 3, 'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeee': 3},
}

it makes sense to me that the old format doesn't line break properly (it wouldn't fit with the 36-space (!) indent -- but I believe the new format should be able to do better -- something similar to:

{
 'aaaaaaaaaaaa': 1,
 'bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb': 2,
 'cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc': {
  'ddddd': 3,
  'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee': 3,
 },
}

(which is well within the width=80 constraint)

Has this already been discussed elsewhere?

This is a minor feature, which does not need previous discussion elsewhere

Links to previous discussion of this feature:

I believe this is also related to #149189 -- and perhaps would strengthen the ideas in that issue if resolved

Linked PRs
  • gh-155926
  • gh-157684

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with pprint.pprint(..., expand=True) and reproduce the issue's example at width=80 to inspect how nested mappings are laid out. Done means the expanded output follows the proposed nested layout without unwanted terminal wrapping while respecting the width constraint.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
tooling
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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