RELEASED: Python 2.2b2 is out!

[Barry A. Warsaw]

Today we release Python 2.2b2, the second -- and probably last -- beta
release of Python 2.2, for your enervation, elocution, and
effervescence.

    http://www.python.org/2.2/

Our thanks to everyone who is testing out these beta releases!  Please
continue to report any bug you find to the bug tracker:

    http://sourceforge.net/bugs/?group_id=5470

Highlights of what's new for this release are outlined below.  For a
more complete list, please see:

    http://sf.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=61669

Andrew Kuchling is writing a gentle introduction to the most important
changes, titled "What's New in Python 2.2":

  http://www.amk.ca/python/2.2/

Guido's written his own introduction to the type/class unification at:

  http://www.python.org/2.2/descrintro.html

python-is-so-proud-of-little-brother-orlijn-ly y'rs,
-Barry

-------------------- snip snip --------------------
- Lots of bug fixes!

- Multiple inheritance mixing new-style and classic classes in the
  list of base classes is now allowed.

- The new builtin dictionary() constructor, and dictionary type, have
  been renamed to dict.  This reflects a decade of common usage.

- dict() now accepts an iterable object producing 2-sequences.  For
  example, dict(d.items()) == d for any dictionary d.  The argument,
  and the elements of the argument, can be any iterable objects.

- New-style classes can now have a __del__ method, which is called
  when the instance is deleted (just like for classic classes).

- Assignment to object.__dict__ is now possible, for objects that are
  instances of new-style classes that have a __dict__ (unless the base
  class forbids it).

- The socket function has been converted to a type; see below.

- Assignment to __debug__ raises SyntaxError at compile-time.  This
  was promised when 2.1c1 was released as "What's New in Python 2.1c1".

- mmap has a new keyword argument, "access", allowing a uniform way for
  both Windows and Unix users to create read-only, write-through and
  copy-on-write memory mappings.

- By default, the gc.garbage list now contains only those instances in
  unreachable cycles that have __del__ methods.

- The socket module defines a new method for socket objects,
  sendall().

- Symbolic group names in regular expressions must be unique.

- We've finally confirmed that this release builds on HP-UX 11.00,
  *with* threads, and passes the test suite.

- Thanks to a series of patches from Michael Muller, Python may build
  again under OS/2 Visual Age C++.

- Updated RISCOS port by Dietmar Schwertberger.