[pytest-dev] Results of the "drop python 3" poll and what i envision to do about it

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

Hi Everyone,

the python3 support poll has run its on
https://twitter.com/ossronny/status/1043837215175057408

The results have a interesting shape.

37%    now
09%    with 3.4 mid 2019
38%    with the python 2.7 eol
16%    a year after py 2.7 eol

468 votes in the final result.


Its my belief that a increase of the of the sample size wouldn't have
changed the outcome of the poll.
I observed it rather quickly normalizing into that shape.
I consider the 2 peaks important indications of the desires and
considerations of people.

By my own wishes i'd just go ahead and drop python2 as well, but i don't
consider 37% of the community sample to be enough to warrant something
with such drastic effects right now.
When summing up with the ~9% of the "with 3.4" and also weighting in the
larger time-frame and my impression about the rounding twitter uses we
get a subjective number of ~49%+-1%.
Which i consider a good context for dropping the "general support for
python3".

So together with support for python3.4 i want pytest to drop support for
python2 for the general development.

As for maintenance branches for python2 - i proposed the setup in an
earlier mail and i would like to make a basic outline for its support.
the pytest core developers should actively support, maintain and
backport to this branch until python2.7 goes eol,
at that point we should transition the python2 maintenance involvement
from the core developers from active to passive.

Meaning that instead of actively working on porting changes and pushing
releases,
we instead support the wider community with needs to bring in changes
they require and support them with review and releasing.
I believe half a year is more than enough to stabilize and sort out the
2.7 maintenance branch,
but should i be demonstrated wrong by how this unfolds i'm happy to have
this extend this for another year.

But for anything after that the bulk of the python2.x maintenance work
should be left on the shoulders of companies and individuals that have
an actual requirement for that.

-- Ronny