[Python-Dev] [issue3769] Deprecate bsddb for removal in 3.0

[Nick Coghlan]

Raymond Hettinger wrote:
> I think this should be deferred to Py3.1.
> This decision was not widely discussed and I think it likely that some
> users will
> be surprised and dismayed.  The release
> candidate seems to be the wrong time to
> yank this out (in part because of the surprise
> factor) and in part because I think the change
> silently affects shelve performance so that the
> impact may be significantly negative but not
> readily apparent.

I don't use Python for database work myself, but something I am somewhat
disappointed to lose is the presence of a moderately complicated package
within the Python distribution itself which is making use of the various
2-to-3 migration tools to support both Python 2.x and 3.x with a single
mixed Python-and-C code base (along with automatic conversion via 2to3).

While that will still be visible to some degree due to the presence of
the 2.x version of the bsddb code in Python 2.6, I don't think it will
be quite the same as it would have been with the 3.x version also being
readily available as part of the standard 3.0 install.

Regardless, given that the removal of bsddb from the 3.0 branch is now a
done deal in svn, I suggest that all we can do is monitor how much
feedback we get indicating that the need to download bsddb as a separate
install is a significant hindrance to Py3k migrations. If the feedback
indicates it is necessary, restoring the module for 3.1 certainly isn't
an impossibility, but in the meantime there *are* real benefits to
decoupling the maintenance cycles (those wanting to get the most out of
Jesus's ongoing work in exposing more of the bsddb API are probably
going to want to be using the external pybsddb releases anyway rather
than waiting however many months it ends up being until we get to 2.7/3.1).

There's also a bit of a second shot at this for bsddb supporters, in
that some of the "omnibus" Python distribution providers like
ActiveState and Enthought may choose to include pybsddb once they start
releasing bundles for Python 3.0.

As far as the corporate scenarios go: if a corporate environment is *so*
screwed up as to simultaneously permit a migration from Python 2.x to
3.0 of an internal project that relies on bsddb, while at the same time
banning those performing the migration from installing the 3.0
compatible version of pybsddb, then they have much bigger problems than
which modules and packages we are choosing to include in the standard
library. In my experience, restrictive corporate environments are far
more likely to just disallow migrations to 3.0 altogether (and in many
cases, the decision makers disallowing such migrations probably won't be
wrong - the case for migrating an existing internal app to 3.0 is far,
far weaker than that for using 3.0 for new development).

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia
---------------------------------------------------------------
            http://www.boredomandlaziness.org