[Python-Dev] PEP 6: Patch and Bug Fix Releases

[Thomas Wouters]

On Thu, Mar 15, 2001 at 02:34:26PM -0800, Aahz Maruch wrote:

[ How to get case-insensitive import fixed in 2.0.x ]

> * Permit minor feature additions/changes.

> If we choose that last option, I believe a distinction should be drawn
> between releases that contain only bugfixes and releases that contain a
> bit more.

We could make the distinction in the release notes. It could be a
'PURE BUGFIX RELEASE' or a 'FEATURE FIX RELEASE'. Bugfix releases just fix
bugs, that is, wrong behaviour. feature fix releases fix misfeatures, like
the case insensitive import issues. The difference between the two should be
explained in the paragraph following the header, for *each* release. For
example,

This is a 		PURE BUGFIX RELEASE.
This means that it only fixes behaviour that was previously giving an error,
or providing obviously wrong results. Only code relying out the outcome of
obviously incorrect code can be affected.

and

This is a 		FEATURE FIX RELEASE
This means that the (unexpected) behaviour of one or more features was
changed. This is a low-impact change that is unlikely to affect anyone, but
it is theoretically possible. See below for a list of possible effects: 
[ list of mis-feature-fixes and their result. ]

-- 
Thomas Wouters <thomas@xs4all.net>

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