scmutil: avoid using basestring and add explicit handling of unicodes
This resolves some Python 3 defects, and I don't think it is a
meaningful behavior change in Python 2.
Differential Revision: https://phab.mercurial-scm.org/D2611
Issue351: mq: qrefresh can create extra revlog entry
$ echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
$ echo "mq=" >> $HGRCPATH
$ hg init
$ hg qinit
$ echo b > b
$ hg ci -A -m foo
adding b
$ echo cc > b
$ hg qnew -f foo.diff
$ echo b > b
$ hg qrefresh
$ hg debugindex b
rev offset length ..... linkrev nodeid p1 p2 (re)
0 0 3 ..... 0 1e88685f5dde 000000000000 000000000000 (re)