[XML-SIG] Re: Finding _xmlplus in Python 2.3a2

[Jeremy Kloth]

On Sunday 02 March 2003 09:59 am, Martijn Faassen wrote:
> James Kew wrote:
> > Finally, I'd always assumed that the xml-aliases-to-_xmlplus business was
> > a trick to allow PyXML to eventually _become_ the standard Python xml
> > library with minimal impact on early adopters. Am I way off base here?
>
> I think that this was/is indeed the motivation. I think we're having
> more than enough negative impact on adopters right now though.
>
> Anyway, in the new scheme any adopter who wants to move to using the stuff
> in the core can explicitly decide as such if they change their import..
> I believe this is commonly the case when a library gets accepted in the
> core anyway -- I'm not sure why PyXML wanted a special status there. I
> guess I should go look through some mailing list archives; I vaguely
> recall this discussion from some years ago, but at the time I did not
> have the benefit of hindsight and don't recall participating. :)

Most libraries that get moved into the core are not as large as PyXML and to 
top it off only part of PyXML was moved into the core.  This is probably the 
root of most of the problems.  However, PyXML had dibs on the top-level "xml" 
before Python core did, so this deal was struck to keep developers for both 
sides happy.  There would have been *much* code to change if PyXML was forced 
to change the package to something else, and I believe this is still the 
case, at least with PyXML.

Another issue that is solved by the current arrangement is support for 
multiple Python versions with the same code base.  For example, if you 
develop an application for 2.3 that uses the "core" xml library, you can 
easily support Python 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 by telling those users to simply 
install PyXML 0.8.2 and it will work the same (given you use only those 
features of Python available in the lowest version you wish to support).  
This is a big plus for end users.

Now as I understand it, you (or users you are speaking for) are having 
problems with PyXML installations or lack thereof.  If so, please file bug 
reports!  We cannot fix what we don't know is broke.

Jeremy Kloth