Return string instead of byte

Author: jpadilla

README.rst

@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ Usage
 
     >>> import jwt
     >>> encoded = jwt.encode({'some': 'payload'}, 'secret', algorithm='HS256')
-    'eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb21lIjoicGF5bG9hZCJ9.4twFt5NiznN84AWoo1d7KO1T_yoc0Z6XOpOVswacPZg'
-
+    >>> print(encoded)
+    eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzb21lIjoicGF5bG9hZCJ9.Joh1R2dYzkRvDkqv3sygm5YyK8Gi4ShZqbhK2gxcs2U
     >>> jwt.decode(encoded, 'secret', algorithms=['HS256'])
     {'some': 'payload'}
 

docs/index.rst

@@ -30,12 +30,13 @@ Example Usage
 -------------
 
 .. code-block:: python
+.. doctest::
 
     >>> import jwt
 
     >>> encoded_jwt = jwt.encode({'some': 'payload'}, 'secret', algorithm='HS256')
-    >>> encoded_jwt
-    'eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb21lIjoicGF5bG9hZCJ9.4twFt5NiznN84AWoo1d7KO1T_yoc0Z6XOpOVswacPZg'
+    >>> print(encoded_jwt)
+    eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzb21lIjoicGF5bG9hZCJ9.Joh1R2dYzkRvDkqv3sygm5YyK8Gi4ShZqbhK2gxcs2U
 
     >>> jwt.decode(encoded_jwt, 'secret', algorithms=['HS256'])
     {'some': 'payload'}

src/jwt/api_jws.py

@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ def encode(
 
         # Segments
         signing_input = b".".join(segments)
+
         try:
             alg_obj = self._algorithms[algorithm]
             key = alg_obj.prepare_key(key)
@@ -126,7 +127,9 @@ def encode(
 
         segments.append(base64url_encode(signature))
 
-        return b".".join(segments)
+        encoded_string = b".".join(segments)
+
+        return encoded_string.decode("utf-8")
 
     def decode(
         self,