[Python-Dev] Need Survey Answers from Core Developers

[Brett Cannon]

On 5/18/07, Jeff Rush <jeff at taupro.com> wrote:
>
> Time is short and I'm still looking for answers to some questions about
> cPython, so that it makes a good showing in the Forrester survey.
>
> 1) How is the project governed?  How does the community make decisions
>    on what goes into a release?
>
>    You know, I've been a member of the Python community for many years
>    -- I know about PEPs, Guido as BDFL, and +1/-1.  But I've never
>    figured out exactly how -final- decisions are made on what goes
>    into a release.  I've never needed to, until now.  Can someone
>    explain in one paragraph?


Concensus is reached on python-dev or Guido says so.  =)

Honestly someone proposes an idea to python-dev.  It gets discussed.  Either
a concensus is reached and the person goes ahead and moves forward with it,
or Guido explicitly says OK.  Occasionally there is a minor revolt and Guido
backs down, but usually that leads to the wrong decision winning out.  =)

How much extra work is needed to present to python-dev depends on the level
of the change.  PEP is needed for language changes.  New additions to the
stdlib require community concensus that it is best-of-breed.  Small
additions usually should get python-dev approval.  Patches for fixes just
happen.

More details are in http://www.python.org/dev/intro .

2) Does the language have a formal defined release plan?
>
>    I know Zope 3's release plan, every six months, but not that of
>    Python.  Is there a requirement to push a release out the door
>    every N months, as some projects do, or is each release
>    separately negotiated with developers around a planned set
>    of features?


Latter.  We aim for every 12 - 18 months, but it depends on if there are any
specific features we want in a release.

3) Some crude idea of how many new major and minor features were
>    added in the last release?  Yes, I know this is difficult -- the
>    idea it so get some measure of the evolution/stability of cPython
>    re features.  Jython and IronPython are probably changing rapidly
>    -- cPython, not such much.


 Going by http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.5/highlights/ , roughly
8 or so major features.  Don't know what to say about minor since I don't
know how you want to count stdlib additions.

4) How many committers to the cPython core are there?
>
>    I don't have the necessary access to the pydotorg infrastructure
>    to answer this -- can someone who does help me out here?


According to http://www.ohloh.net/projects/26/analyses/latest/contributors ,
92 people over the life of the project, but 51 over the last year.

-Brett
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