[Merge] lp:~futatuki/mailman/python-doc-url into lp:mailman/2.1

[Yasuhito FUTATSUKI at POEM]

> I have mixed feelings about this MR.

I also have complex feelings about this. 

> On the one hand, it is valid and represents a significant amount of work, and
> I hate to just ignore it.
> 
> On the other, I have concerns. While it is true that the URL
> http://docs.python.org/library/stdtypes.html#string-formatting-operations
> doesn't go to the relevant Python 3 section of library/stdtypes.html which is
> https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#printf-style-string-
> formatting, that Python 3 section is not so different from Python 2 as to be
> misleading.

I think it is hard to search correct section to read if list admins don't so familier with Python. This is why I start to work to fix these URLs.

> Likewise, the reference to http://docs.python.org/library/re.html goes to the
> Python 3 page which is not so different from Python 2 as to be misleading, and
> the reference to http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/module-re.html which
> gives a 404 is only in the 'ca' mailman.po.

I agree it is not so problem except the 'ca' mailman.po. This is by-product of fix about stdtypes.html and for consistency of this MP.

> None of this is really a reason to not fix these things, but my concern is
> what will happen on 1 January 2020 (see https://pythonclock.org/ ). Are we
> changing these wrong but not so bad URLs to ones that will 404 in less than 18
> months?

On the other hand, there is also no warranty these URLs will not change within 18 months :)
Putting that aside, if Python 2 docs will vanish after Jan 2020, our choices will be to link to Python 3 docs (with some comment if needed) or to search and link to appropriate docs (I don't think Python 2 library docs will not be removed even if their URL will be changed).

I also started to check other URLs (re)moved or switched to https, but I stopped soon to work farther as I'm not sure it is worth to do so....
-- 
https://code.launchpad.net/~futatuki/mailman/python-doc-url/+merge/349626
Your team Mailman Coders is requested to review the proposed merge of lp:~futatuki/mailman/python-doc-url into lp:mailman/2.1.