[Python-Dev] python/dist/src/Lib/bsddb __init__.py,1.5,1.6

[Jeremy Hylton]

On Fri, 2003-09-12 at 14:17, Raymond Hettinger wrote:
> [Raymond]
> > > I would like to backport this patch to Py2.3.1.  
> > > The effort to provide a full mapping interface to all
> > > mapping like objects was attempted in Py2.3 and several
> > > modules for the bsddb package were updated, but this
> > > one was missed and the package was left half converted.
> > > 
> > > IIRC, dbhash and bsddb don't affect the Apple MacIntosh
> > > users.  Also, since this effort was started for bsddb and
> > > only half completed, I view it to be a bit of a bugfix as
> > > well as being featurelike.  It certainly affects the usability
> > > of the module (the looping example and related text in 
> > > the docs were both wrong -- that would not have happened
> > > if the normal looping expectations were supported).
> 
> [GvR]
> > Can you discuss this on python-dev?
> 
> Guys, are you okay with backporting this?

Isn't this just the sort of little feature that was the subject of
recent discussion on the dangers of backporting.  It would mean that
someone writing an app against Python 2.3 could never be sure whether
the feature existed.  In practice, that would mean developers using
2.3.x would only find out about problems after deployment when they bump
into a user with the original 2.3.

I'm not sure how convincing I find this argument, but it's got some
merit.

Jeremy