[Python-checkins] python/dist/src/Doc/whatsnew whatsnew23.tex,1.59,1.60

[loewis@users.sourceforge.net]

Update of /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Doc/whatsnew
In directory usw-pr-cvs1:/tmp/cvs-serv7316/Doc/whatsnew

Modified Files:
	whatsnew23.tex 
Log Message:
Add PyStructSequence_UnnamedField. Add stat_float_times.
Use integers in stat tuple, optionally floats in named fields.


Index: whatsnew23.tex
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Doc/whatsnew/whatsnew23.tex,v
retrieving revision 1.59
retrieving revision 1.60
diff -C2 -d -r1.59 -r1.60
*** whatsnew23.tex	10 Oct 2002 16:04:08 -0000	1.59
--- whatsnew23.tex	16 Oct 2002 18:27:38 -0000	1.60
***************
*** 1068,1071 ****
--- 1068,1096 ----
  the \method{toxml()} and \method{toprettyxml()} methods of DOM nodes.
  
+ \item The \function{stat} family of functions can now report fractions
+ of a second in a time stamp. Similar to \function{time.time}, such
+ time stamps are represented as floats.
+ 
+ During testing, it was found that some applications break if time
+ stamps are floats. For compatibility, when using the tuple interface
+ of the \class{stat_result}, time stamps are represented as integers.
+ When using named fields (first introduced in Python 2.2), time stamps
+ are still represented as ints, unless \function{os.stat_float_times}
+ is invoked:
+ 
+ \begin{verbatim}
+ >>> os.stat_float_times(True)
+ >>> os.stat("/tmp").st_mtime
+ 1034791200.6335014
+ \end{verbatim}
+ 
+ In Python 2.4, the default will change to return floats.
+ 
+ Application developers should use this feature only if all their
+ libraries work properly when confronted with floating point time
+ stamps (or use the tuple API). If used, the feature should be
+ activated on application level, instead of trying to activate it on a
+ per-use basis.
+ 
  \end{itemize}