[Python-Dev] python-dev Summary for 2005-03-01 through 2005-03-15 [draft]

Fri Mar 18 03:21:33 CET 2005

Amazingly on time thanks to the quarter being over.  You can't see me jumping 
up and down in joy over that fact, but I am while trying not to hit the ceiling 
as I do it (for those of you who have never met me, I'm 6'6" tall, so jumping 
in a room is not always the smartest thing for me, especially when ceiling fans 
are involved).

Since I will be on a plane most of tomorrow heading to DC for PyCon I won't get 
to this any sooner than Saturday while I am at the sprints.  Might send it out 
Saturday or Sunday during a lull in the sprint, so please get corrections and 
additions in by then.

--------------------------------------

=====================
Summary Announcements
=====================

-----------------------------
Second to last summary for me
-----------------------------
Just a reminder, after this Summary there is only one more left for me to 
write.  After that Tim Lesher, Tony Meyer, and Steven Bethard will be taking over.

-----------------
See you at PyCon!
-----------------
PyCon_ is practically upon us!  If you are going to be there, great!  Please 
feel free to say hello if you run into me (will be at the sprints and the 
conference Wednesday and Thursday; skipping Friday to see a friend).  Always 
happy to stop-and-chat.

.. _PyCon: http://www.pycon.org/

------------------------
2.4.1 should be out soon
------------------------
Python 2.4.1c1 is out.  Very shortly c2 will be released.  Assuming no major 
issues come up, 2.4 final will be out.

But in order to make sure no issues come up, we need the code to be tested! 
Please get the code and run the regression tests.  If you are on a UNIX system 
it is as easy as running ``make test`` (``make testall`` is even better).  The 
tests can also be run on non-UNIX systems; see 
http://docs.python.org/lib/regrtest.html on how.

=========
Summaries
=========

----------------------
2.4 should be out soon
----------------------
Python 2.4.1c1 was releaseed, but enough bugs were found and subsequently fixed 
that c2 release will occur before 2.4 final comes out.

Contributing threads:
   - `2.4.1c1 March 10th, 2.4.1 March 17th <>`__
   - `Failing tests: marshal, warnings <>`__
   - `BRANCH FREEZE for 2.4.1rc1, 0000 UTC, 2005-03-10 <>`__
   - `branch release24-maint is unfrozen, 2.4.1rc2? <>`__
   - `os.access and Unicode <>`__
   - `RELEASED Python 2.4.1, release candidate 1 <>`__
   - `distutils fix for building Zope against Python 2.4.1c1 <>`__
   - `Python2.4.1c1 and win32com <>`__
   - `Open issues for 2.4.1 <>`__

-------------------------------------------
Getting state of all threads in interpreter
-------------------------------------------
Florent Guillaume wrote some code for Zope that returned the current state of 
all threads in the interpreter, regardless of whether they were hung or not. 
Tim Peters suggested someone write up some code so that this could be made 
available in Python itself.

Contributing threads:
   - `Useful thread project for 2.5? <>`__

---------------------------------
No new features in micro releases
---------------------------------
A bug in os.access() not allowing Unicode strings triggered the discussion of 
whether it was a bugfix to repair the issue or a new feature.  In the end it 
was decided it was a bugfix.  But the point was specified that micro releases 
should never have any new feature, no matter how small.

Contributing threads:
   - `[Python-checkins] python/dist/src/Modules	ossaudiodev.c, 1.35, 1.36 <>`__
   - `No new features <>`__
   - `os.access and Unicode <>`__
   - `rationale for the no-new-features approach <>`__

-------------------------------------
Python wins Jolt "Productivity Award"
-------------------------------------
Python was runner-up in the `15th annual Jolt Awards`_ in the category of 
"Languages and Development Environments", being given the "Productivity Award". 
  Python is now award-winning.  =)

.. _15th annual Jolt Awards: 
http://www.sdmagazine.com/jolts/15th_jolt_finalists.html

Contributing threads:
   - `FWD: SD MAgazine.com - Jolt Awards Winners <>`__
   - `Python 2.4 won the "Jolt productivity award" last night <>`__

------------------------------
New built-ins: any() and all()
------------------------------
Python 2.5 gains two new built-ins: any(), which returns True if the iterable 
passed to it contains any true items, and all(), which returns True if all the 
items in the iterable passed to it are true.

Contributing threads:
   - `Adding any() and all() <>`__

--------------------------------
Abbreviating list comprehensions
--------------------------------
The idea of allowing list comprehensions when the item being appended to the 
new list is passed directly in was proposed: ``[x in seq if f(x)`` would be 
equivalent to ``[x for x in seq if f(x)]``.

The debate on this one is still going, but my gut says it won't be accepted; 
TOOWTDI and all.

Contributing threads:
   - `Adding any() and all() <>`__
   - `comprehension abbreviation <>`__

-------------------------
sum() semantics discussed
-------------------------
Guido's blog entry on `the fate of reduce() in Python 3000`_ (which reiterated 
Guido's plan to cut map(), reduce(), filter() and lambdas (what about zip()?) 
caused a huge discussion on whether sum() worked the best way possible.  As it 
stands now, sum() only accepts a sequence of numbers and its optional second 
argument works as an initial value to build off of.

The suggestion was put forth of making the second argument more of a default 
argument if the passed-in sequence was empty.  Otherwise the second argument 
would be ignored.  But further discussion solidified the idea that sum() works 
quite well as it is and thus won't be changed in Python 3000.

.. _the fate of reduce() in Python 3000: 
http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=98196

Contributing threads:
   - `sum() <>`__
   - `Rationale for sum()'s design? <>`__

===============
Skipped Threads
===============
+ Re: python-dev Summary for 2005-01-16 through	2005-01-31
+ Documentation for __new__
+ Migrating to subversion
+ Decimal & returning NotImplemented (or not)
+ itemgetter/attrgetter extension
+ LinkedHashSet/LinkedHashMap equivalents
+ Re: [Python-checkins] python/dist/src/Lib/idlelib NEWS.txt, 1.49.2.3, 
1.49.2.4 idlever.py, 1.22.2.1, 1.22.2.2
+ code blocks using 'for' loops and generators
+ can we stop pretending _PyTyple_Lookup is internal?
+ (no subject)
       Thank you Michael Chermside for that very descriptive subject  =)