[Python-Dev] Bugfix releases should not change APIs

[Antoine Pitrou]

On Fri, 28 May 2010 20:31:02 -0400
Steve Holden <steve at holdenweb.com> wrote:
> I think it shows how developers can "get worked over" if they are
> insufficiently vigilant.
> 
> 1) I completely agree, and adduce as evidence the fact that something
> like this always seems to happen when the rule is broken;

Well it's true that the change may have been unfortunate (this is the
second bug report we get about it, the first one was from Holger Krekel
IIRC), its exceptional nature had also been discussed on this
mailing-list, and supported by Guido. It is not the product of
oversight.

What it does teach us is that Python 3.1 sees some real use, and
we have entered a phase where backwards compatibility will become as
important as it was in the 2.x line.

> 2) But we may wish to release 3.1.2.1(?) which backports fixes from the
> 3.2 line but retains the file store semantics (which I am assured will
> be easy in the glorious reign of Hg).

I think this would be worse, as in "even more confusing". We would have
a 3.1.2 with changed behaviour, a 3.1.2.1 with reverted behaviour, and a
3.2 with changed behaviour again. Now that we have inflicted this
pain on our users, let's not inflict more pain on them.

Regards

Antoine.