[Python-Dev] Re: Is the 2.0 xml package too immature to release?

[Guido van Rossum]

[me]
> > Given that the xml-sig already has released packages called xml, the
> > best solution (and one which doesn't require the cooperation of the
> > xml-sig!) is to rename the 2.0 core xml package to xmlcore.
> 
> I think it would be unfortunate if the Python xml processing package be
> named xmlcore for eternity. The whole point of putting it in the core is
> that it should become more popular and ubiquitous than an add-on module.

I'm not proposing that it be called xmlcore for eternity, but I see a
*practical* problem with the 2.0 release: the xml-sig has a package
called 'xml' (and they've had dibs on the name for years!) which is
incompatible.  We can't force them to issue a new release under a
different name.  I don't want to break other people's code that
requires the xml-sig's xml package.

I propose the following:

We remove the '_xmlplus' feature.  It seems better not to rely on the
xml-sig to provide upgrades to the core xml package.  We're planning
2.1, 2.2, ... releases 3-6 months apart which should be quick enough
for most upgrade needs; we can issue service packs in between if
necessary.

*IF* (and that's still a big "if"!) the xml core support is stable
before Sept. 26, we'll keep it under the name 'xmlcore'.  If it's not
stable, we remove it, but we'll consider it for 2.1.

In 2.1, presuming the XML-sig has released its own package under a
different name, we'll rename 'xmlcore' to 'xml' (keeping 'xmlcore' as
a backwards compatibility feature until 2.2).

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.pythonlabs.com/~guido/)