[Python-Dev] bsddb3 upgrade woes - more gentle transition?

[Skip Montanaro]

    Skip> Given that most people aren't aware of how to convert their
    Skip> database files and very possibly don't have the necessary RPMs (or
    Skip> other system-specific packages) installed to do the file
    Skip> conversion, I think we need to work a little harder to smooth the
    Skip> transition.  I'm not certain just what form that should take.  At
    Skip> the very least I will write some text in Misc/NEWS to better
    Skip> indicate what the underlying problem is and ways to solve it.

    Skip> I suspect that many people won't have immediate access to
    Skip> Sleepycat's conversion tools (for any number of reasons).  I think
    Skip> a pair of dump/load scripts in Tools/scripts which use pickle as
    Skip> an intermediate format would also be helpful.

Done.  See Misc/NEWS, Tools/scripts/{pickle2db,db2pickle}.py.  I've gone
back and forth using Python 2.1.3, 2.2.2 and current CVS using the bsddb
stuff, though I haven't tested all the possible database formats and don't
have Python 1.5.2 to try with anymore.  I tried to avoid gratuitous
incompatibilities with older versions of Python, but some extra exercise
using 2.0 and 1.5.2 with different databases would be appreciated.

Skip