[Python-Dev] Adding new features to Python 2.x (PEP 382: Namespace Packages)

[Nick Coghlan]

Aahz wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 09, 2009, Nick Coghlan wrote:
>> Martin v. L?wis wrote:
>>>> Such a policy would then translate to a dead end for Python 2.x
>>>> based applications.
>>> 2.x based applications *are* in a dead end, with the only exit
>>> being portage to 3.x.
>> The actual end of the dead end just happens to be in 2013 or so :)
> 
> More like 2016 or 2020 -- as of January, my former employer was still
> using Python 2.3, and I wouldn't be surprised if 1.5.2 was still out in
> the wilds.

Indeed - I know of a system that will finally be migrating from Python
2.2 to Python *2.4* later this year :)

>  The transition to 3.x is more extreme, and lots of people
> will continue making do for years after any formal support is dropped.

Yeah, I was only referring to the likely minimum time frame that
python-dev would continue providing security releases. As you say, the
actual 2.x version of the language will live on long after the day we
close all remaining 2.x only bug reports and patches as "out of date".

> Whether this warrants including PEP 382 in 2.x, I don't know; I still
> don't really understand this proposal.

I'd personally still prefer to keep the guideline that new features that
are easy to backport *should* be backported, but that's really a
decision for the authors of each new feature.

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia
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