[Python-Dev] Python 2.5 and ast-branch

Guido van Rossum guido at python.org
Fri Oct 7 04:34:11 CEST 2005


[Kurt]
> > Unless I'm missing something, we would need to merge HEAD to the AST
> > branch once more to pick up the changes in MAIN since the last merge,
> > and then make sure everything in the AST branch is passing the test
> > suite.  Otherwise we risk having MAIN broken for awhile following a
> > merge.

[Raymond]
> IMO, merging to the head is a somewhat dangerous strategy that doesn't
> have any benefits.  Whether done on the head or in the branch, the same
> amount of work needs to be done.
>
> If the stability of the head is disrupted, it may impede other
> maintenance efforts because it is harder to test bug fixes when the test
> suites are not passing.

Well, at some point it will HAVE to be merged into the head. The
longer we wait the more painful it will be. If we suffer a week of
instability now, I think that's acceptable, as long as all developers
are suitably alerted, and as long as the AST team works towards
resolving the issues ASAP.

I happen to agree with Kurt that we should first merge the head into
the branch; then the AST team can work on making sure the entire test
suite passes; then they can merge back into the head.

BUT this should only be done with a serious commitment from the AST
team (I think Neil and Jeremy are offering this -- I just don't know
how much time they will have available, realistically).

My main point is, we should EITHER abandon the AST branch, OR force a
quick resolution. I'm willing to suffer a week of instability in head
now, or in a week or two -- but I'm not willing to wait again.

Let's draw a line in the sand. The AST team (which includes whoever
will help) has up to three weeks to het the AST branch into a position
where it passes all the current unit tests merged in from the head.
Then they merge it into the head after which we can accept at most a
week of instability in the head. After that the AST team must remain
available to resolve remaining issues quickly.

How does this sound to the non-AST-branch developers who have to
suffer the inevitable post-merge instability? I think it's now or
never -- waiting longer isn't going to make this thing easier (not
with several more language changes approved: with-statement, extended
import, what else...)

What does the AST team think?

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


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