[Python-Dev] RELEASED: Python 2.2a3 is out!

[Barry A. Warsaw]

We've released Python 2.2a3, the third alpha for Python 2.2, for your
excitement, enlightenment, and endless-amusement.  Download it from:

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

Give it a good try, and report what breaks to the bug tracker:

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

[Note: this is my first solo release as Release Manager.  If you find
any problems with the downloads, please let me know! -BAW]

New features in this release include:

- Conversion of long to float now raises OverflowError if the long is too
  big to represent as a C double.

- The 3-argument builtin pow() no longer allows a third non-None argument
  in some situations.

- The builtin dir() now returns more information.

- Overflowing operations on plain ints now return a long int rather
  than raising OverflowError.

- A new command line option, -Q<arg>, is added to control run-time
  warnings for the use of classic division.

- Many built-in types can now be subclassed.

- The dictionary constructor now takes an optional argument, a
  mapping-like object.

- New built-in types `super' and `property' have been added.

- The syntax of floating-point and imaginary literals has been
  liberalized, to allow leading zeroes.

- Lots of bug fixes, contributed patches, and other stuff.  See the
  Misc/NEWS file in the distribution, or see the release notes on
  SourceForge:

  http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=51791

As usual, Andrew Kuchling is writing a gentle introduction to the most
important changes (currently excluding type/class unification), titled
"What's New in Python 2.2":

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

There is an introduction to the type/class unification at:

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

Thanks to everybody who contributed to this release, including all the
2.2 alpha 1 and 2 testers!

Enjoy!
-Barry