Add user-specified indenting to render()

Add pathlib support to logfile.
Add get_prog_name().
In cull(), allow remove to be a collection.

README.rst

@@ -725,16 +725,17 @@ conjoin(iterable, conj=' and ', sep=', '):
 
 cull(collection, [remove]):
     Strips items from a list that have a particular value. By default, it strips 
-    a list of values that if casted to a boolean would have a value of False (0, 
-    False, None, '', (), [], etc.).  A particular value may be specified using 
-    the 'remove' as a keyword argument.  The value of remove may be a function, 
-    in which case it takes a single item as an argument and returns *True* if 
-    that item should be removed from the list.
+    a list of values that would be False when cast to a boolean (0, False, None, 
+    '', (), [], etc.).  A particular value may be specified using the 'remove' 
+    as a keyword argument.  The value of remove may be a collection, in which 
+    case any value in the collection is removed, or it may be a function, in 
+    which case it takes a single item as an argument and returns *True* if that 
+    item should be removed from the list.
 
 fmt(msg, \*args, \**kwargs):
     Similar to ''.format(), but it can pull arguments from the local scope.
 
-render(obj, sort=None):
+render(obj, sort=None, level=0, tab='    '):
     Recursively convert an object to a string with reasonable formatting.  Has 
     built in support for the base Python types (None, bool, int, float, str, 
     set, tuple, list, and dict).  If you confine yourself to these types, the 

inform/__init__.py

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     InformantFactory, Inform, Error,
 
     # inform functions
-    done, terminate, terminate_if_errors, errors_accrued,
+    done, terminate, terminate_if_errors, errors_accrued, get_prog_name,
 
     # built-in informants
     log, comment, codicil, narrate, display, output,

inform/inform.py

@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ def cull(collection, **kwargs):
         remove = kwargs['remove']
         if callable(remove):
             return [each for each in collection if not remove(each)]
+        elif is_collection(remove):
+            return [each for each in collection if each not in remove]
         else:
             return [each for each in collection if each != remove]
     except KeyError:
@@ -183,7 +185,7 @@ def fmt(message, *args, **kwargs):
     return message.format(*args, **attrs)
 
 # render {{{2
-def render(obj, sort=None, _level=0):
+def render(obj, sort=None, level=0, tab='    '):
     """
     Recursively convert object to string with reasonable formatting.
     Has built in support for the base Python types (None, bool, int, float, str,
@@ -209,21 +211,21 @@ def order(keys):
 
     # define function for computing the amount of indentation needed
     def leader(relative_level=0):
-        return (_level+relative_level)*'    '
+        return (level+relative_level)*tab
 
     code = []
     if type(obj) == dict:
         endcaps = '{ }'
-        content = ['%r: %s' % (k, render(obj[k], sort, _level+1)) for k in order(obj)]
+        content = ['%r: %s' % (k, render(obj[k], sort, level+1)) for k in order(obj)]
     elif type(obj) is list:
         endcaps = '[ ]'
-        content = [render(v, sort, _level+1) for v in obj]
+        content = [render(v, sort, level+1) for v in obj]
     elif type(obj) is tuple:
         endcaps = '( )'
-        content = [render(v, sort, _level+1) for v in obj]
+        content = [render(v, sort, level+1) for v in obj]
     elif type(obj) is set:
         endcaps = '{ }'
-        content = [render(v, sort, _level+1) for v in order(obj)]
+        content = [render(v, sort, level+1) for v in order(obj)]
     elif is_str(obj) and '\n' in obj:
         endcaps = None
         content = [
@@ -561,7 +563,7 @@ def notify_user(self, informer):
     log=True,
 )
 notify = InformantFactory(
-    output=lambda inform: not inform.quiet and not inform.mute,
+    output=False,
     notify=True,
     log=True,
 )
@@ -739,7 +741,7 @@ def suppress_output(self, mute):
         self.mute = bool(mute)
 
     # set_logfile {{{2
-    def set_logfile(self, logfile):
+    def set_logfile(self, logfile, encoding='utf-8'):
         try:
             if self.logfile:
                 self.logfile.close()
@@ -748,12 +750,22 @@ def set_logfile(self, logfile):
 
         if logfile is True:
             logfile = '.%s.log' % self.prog_name if self.prog_name else '.log'
-        if is_str(logfile):
-            try:
-                logfile = open(logfile, 'w')
-            except (IOError, OSError) as err:
-                print(os_error(err), file=sys.stderr)
-                logfile = None
+        try:
+            if is_str(logfile):
+                try:                # python 3
+                    logfile = open(logfile, 'w', encoding=encoding)
+                except TypeError:   # python 2
+                    import codecs
+                    logfile = codecs.open(logfile, 'w', encoding=encoding)
+            elif logfile:  # pathlib
+                try:
+                    logfile = logfile.open(mode='w', encoding=encoding)
+                except AttributeError:
+                    pass
+        except (IOError, OSError) as err:
+            print(os_error(err), file=sys.stderr)
+            logfile = None
+
         self.logfile = logfile
         if not logfile:
             return
@@ -951,6 +963,11 @@ def errors_accrued(self, reset=False):
             self.errors = 0
         return count
 
+    # get_prog_name {{{2
+    def get_prog_name(self, default):
+        "Returns the program name"
+        return self.prog_name if self.prog_name else default
+
     # disconnect {{{2
     def disconnect(self):
         "Disconnect informer"
@@ -984,6 +1001,10 @@ def terminate_if_errors(status=1):
 def errors_accrued(reset=False):
     return INFORMER.errors_accrued(reset)
 
+# get_prog_name {{{3
+def get_prog_name(default):
+    return INFORMER.get_prog_name(default)
+
 
 # Instantiate default informer {{{1
 DEFAULT_INFORMER = Inform()