[Python-Dev] Deprecating string exceptions

[Guido van Rossum]

> Should it be arbitrary objects or just subclasses of exception: "It is
> recommended that user-defined exceptions in new code be derived from
> Exception, although for backward compatibility reasons, this is not
> required. Eventually this rule will be tightened."

Can we safely make Exception (and hence all built-in exceptions) a
new-style class?  This could break user code (even when we don't
enforce that exceptions are derived from Exception).

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)