[Python-Dev] Future of 2.x.

Steve Holden steve at holdenweb.com
Thu Jun 10 03:01:00 CEST 2010


Barry Warsaw wrote:
> On Jun 09, 2010, at 09:13 AM, Bill Janssen wrote:
> 
>> Barry Warsaw <barry at python.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Note that Python 2.7 will be *maintained* for a very long time, which
>>> should satisfy those folks who still require Python 2.  Anybody on
>>> older (and currently unmaintained) versions of Python 2 will not care
>>> about new features so a Python 2.8 wouldn't help them anyway.
>> There are two kinds of new features, though.  Those added to improve (or
>> at any rate modify :-) the product, and those added to keep the product
>> relevant to a changing external world (new operating systems, new
>> communication protocols, etc.)  I think it would take a pretty strong
>> crystal ball to be able to rule out the latter kind of feature add from
>> the 2.x line.
> 
> The latter should mostly be supported by third party packages available in the
> Cheeseshop.  To the extent that such support can't be effected by add-ons
> (e.g. new OS support), I think a better approach would be to encourage and
> allow unofficial ports by utilizing dvcs branches (we *are* moving to
> Mercurial after Python 2.7 final is released, right?).
> 
> I think we should plan on 2.7 being the last Python 2, and spend lots of effort
> to get people onto Python 3, partially by offering big carrots like Unladen
> Swallow, a better/no GIL, etc.  I think it should be part of the PSF's mission
> to help that happen through directed sponsorship, sprints, and other tools.
> 
The current stumbling block isn't the language itself, it's the lack of
support from third-party libraries. GSoC is addressing some of these
issues, but so far we (the PSF, the dev community, anybody else except
R. David Murray) haven't really come to grips with intractable problems
like the broken state of the email package, and we are not doing well at
attracting funds to support it.

So I think we need to address a larger issue than just the language. As
a development community we decided to change the language. Now we have
to do what we can to ensure that the changed language has appropriate
support.

regards
 Steve
-- 
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