[Python-Dev] decimal module portability to 2.3?

[Skip Montanaro]

    Raymond> Yes, I've been keeping it Py2.3 compatible and periodically
    Raymond> test it on 2.3 just to make sure.

    Raymond> Am hesitant to introduce this as a specific, on-going
    Raymond> restriction to the code, but I don't want to throw-away 2.3
    Raymond> compatibility unless there is a darned good offsetting gain.

Raymond,

Given that you've expended effort to keep decimal 2.3-compatible I sort of
doubt at this point that something will be done to make it incompatible with
2.3 before 2.4 is released.

Might I suggest an addition to PEP 291 like this:

    Package/Module     Maintainer(s)          Python Version     Notes
    --------------     -------------          --------------     -----
    ...
    decimal             Raymond, et al          2.3               [2]
    ...

with note 2 being something like:

    Compatibility with 2.3 maintained until at least 2.5 is released.

The thought there is that after 2.4 is released no new language features or
modules should be added to 2.4.n (n > 0) which you would want to use in the
decimal module.  If 2.4 is released with a decimal module that is
2.3-compatible, maintaining that compatibility until 2.5 is released
shouldn't be too difficult.

The above would satisfy me.

Thx,

Skip