diff --git a/Lib/uu.py b/Lib/uu.py
index b20aa9cd22e..40e8bf00b11 100755
--- a/Lib/uu.py
+++ b/Lib/uu.py
@@ -92,13 +92,13 @@ def decode(in_file, out_file=None, mode=None, quiet=0):
     #
     # Read until a begin is encountered or we've exhausted the file
     #
-    while 1:
+    while True:
         hdr = in_file.readline()
         if not hdr:
-            raise Error, 'No valid begin line found in input file'
-        if hdr[:5] != 'begin':
+            raise Error('No valid begin line found in input file')
+        if not hdr.startswith('begin'):
             continue
-        hdrfields = hdr.split(" ", 2)
+        hdrfields = hdr.split(' ', 2)
         if len(hdrfields) == 3 and hdrfields[0] == 'begin':
             try:
                 int(hdrfields[1], 8)
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ def decode(in_file, out_file=None, mode=None, quiet=0):
     if out_file is None:
         out_file = hdrfields[2].rstrip()
         if os.path.exists(out_file):
-            raise Error, 'Cannot overwrite existing file: %s' % out_file
+            raise Error('Cannot overwrite existing file: %s' % out_file)
     if mode is None:
         mode = int(hdrfields[1], 8)
     #
@@ -135,42 +135,34 @@ def decode(in_file, out_file=None, mode=None, quiet=0):
             nbytes = (((ord(s[0])-32) & 63) * 4 + 5) / 3
             data = binascii.a2b_uu(s[:nbytes])
             if not quiet:
-                sys.stderr.write("Warning: %s\n" % str(v))
+                sys.stderr.write("Warning: %s\n" % v)
         out_file.write(data)
         s = in_file.readline()
     if not s:
-        raise Error, 'Truncated input file'
+        raise Error('Truncated input file')
 
 def test():
     """uuencode/uudecode main program"""
-    import getopt
 
-    dopt = 0
-    topt = 0
-    input = sys.stdin
-    output = sys.stdout
-    ok = 1
-    try:
-        optlist, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'dt')
-    except getopt.error:
-        ok = 0
-    if not ok or len(args) > 2:
-        print 'Usage:', sys.argv[0], '[-d] [-t] [input [output]]'
-        print ' -d: Decode (in stead of encode)'
-        print ' -t: data is text, encoded format unix-compatible text'
+    import optparse
+    parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage='usage: %prog [-d] [-t] [input [output]]')
+    parser.add_option('-d', '--decode', dest='decode', help='Decode (instead of encode)?', default=False, action='store_true')
+    parser.add_option('-t', '--text', dest='text', help='data is text, encoded format unix-compatible text?', default=False, action='store_true')
+
+    (options, args) = parser.parse_args()
+    if len(args) > 2:
+        p.error('incorrect number of arguments')
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    for o, a in optlist:
-        if o == '-d': dopt = 1
-        if o == '-t': topt = 1
-
+    input = sys.stdin
+    output = sys.stdout
     if len(args) > 0:
         input = args[0]
     if len(args) > 1:
         output = args[1]
 
-    if dopt:
-        if topt:
+    if options.decode:
+        if options.text:
             if isinstance(output, basestring):
                 output = open(output, 'w')
             else:
@@ -178,7 +170,7 @@ def test():
                 sys.exit(1)
         decode(input, output)
     else:
-        if topt:
+        if options.text:
             if isinstance(input, basestring):
                 input = open(input, 'r')
             else: