Issue1521

I discovered this issue while trying some old Python code on Jython
2.5.1 on Mac OS X 10.5.

The following page lists built in Python functions,
http://www.jython.org/docs/library/functions.html

At the end of the page there are four "Non-essential Built-in Functions"
listed:
* apply
* buffer
* coerce
* intern

There are all present in Jython 2.5.0 and 2.5.1 except buffer:

$ ~/jython2.5.1/jython
Jython 2.5.1 (Release_2_5_1:6813, Sep 26 2009, 13:47:54) 
[Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (Apple Inc.)] on java1.5.0_20
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> apply
<built-in function apply>
>>> coerce
<built-in function coerce>
>>> intern
<built-in function intern>
>>> buffer
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'buffer' is not defined

Note that buffer is still in (C) Python 2.6 and the current
documentation for Python 2.7, and has not been deprecated.

Implementing the buffer protocol for strings, arrays, and buffers would seem to be reasonable for Jython, and necessary for implementing the memoryview type for 2.6. However, it's rarely used and the workaround of 

buffer = str

although inefficient and not quite right, is often just what's needed.

Deferring to 2.6.