Is there a difference between `%`-format operator and `str.format()` in python regarding unicode and utf-8 encoding?

Question

Assume that

n = u"Tübingen"
repr(n) # `T\xfcbingen` # Unicode
i = 1 # integer

The first of the following files throws

UnicodeEncodeError: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\xfc' in position 82: ordinal not in range(128)

When I do n.encode('utf8') it works.

The second works flawless in both cases.

# Python File 1
#
#!/usr/bin/env python -B
# encoding: utf-8

print '{id}, {name}'.format(id=i, name=n)

# Python File 2
#
#!/usr/bin/env python -B
# encoding: utf-8

print '%i, %s'% (i, n)

Since in the documentation it is encouraged to use format() instead of the % format operator, I don't understand why format() seems more "handicaped". Does format() only work with utf8-strings?

When you did u'{id}, {name}'.format(id=i, name=n) what did you observe? Note that the formatting string is a Unicode string u'...'. Please add that to your examples and comment on it. — S.Lott
– S.Lott, Commented Dec 22, 2011 at 11:40
Thank you S.Lott, this was it. I understand now where my fault was. '{id}, {name}' was a utf-8 string (defined by the magic line # encoding: utf-8) and n was in unicode. It is not possible to "concatenate" them. That is why n.encode('utf8') worked. Right? — Aufwind
– Aufwind, Commented Dec 22, 2011 at 11:44

Tom van der Woerdt · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-22 11:41:22Z

10

You're using string.format while you don't have a string but an unicode object.

print u'{id}, {name}'.format(id=i, name=n)

will work, since it uses unicode.format instead.

answered Dec 22, 2011 at 11:41

Tom van der Woerdt

30k7 gold badges76 silver badges105 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Is there a difference between `%`-format operator and `str.format()` in python regarding unicode and utf-8 encoding?

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related