Add function to get Exception.message

six.py

@@ -710,6 +710,7 @@ def exec_(_code_, _globs_=None, _locs_=None):
     finally:
         tb = None
 """)
+_add_doc(reraise, """Reraise an exception.""")
 
 
 if sys.version_info[:2] == (3, 2):
@@ -733,6 +734,15 @@ def raise_from(value, from_value):
         raise value
 
 
+if PY3:
+    def exception_message(exception):
+        return str(exception)
+else:
+    def exception_message(exception):
+        return exception.message
+_add_doc(exception_message, "Return an Exception's message.")
+
+
 print_ = getattr(moves.builtins, "print", None)
 if print_ is None:
     def print_(*args, **kwargs):
@@ -798,8 +808,6 @@ def print_(*args, **kwargs):
         if flush and fp is not None:
             fp.flush()
 
-_add_doc(reraise, """Reraise an exception.""")
-
 if sys.version_info[0:2] < (3, 4):
     def wraps(wrapped, assigned=functools.WRAPPER_ASSIGNMENTS,
               updated=functools.WRAPPER_UPDATES):

test_six.py

@@ -644,6 +644,13 @@ def test_raise_from():
     assert str(val) == "foo"
 
 
+def test_exception_message():
+    e = Exception("string")
+    assert six.exception_message(e) == "string"
+    e = Exception("unic\xf6de")
+    assert six.exception_message(e) == "unic\xf6de"
+
+
 def test_print_():
     save = sys.stdout
     out = sys.stdout = six.moves.StringIO()