[Python-Dev] Breaking undocumented API

[Terry Reedy]

On 11/17/2010 10:52 AM, Guido van Rossum wrote:

> That's not what I meant. In the case of style guides I think it is
> totally appropriate to update the PEP as new rules are developed or
> existing ones are clarified (or even changed).

Revising style guides is standard practice. The Chicago Manual of Style, 
which is practically the 'Bible' of American publishing, is now in its 
16th edition after 104 years.

http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Manual-Style-16th/dp/0226104206/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290022712&sr=1-2

Idea: include the 'current' version of PEP8 in the doc set for each 
Python version as the frozen Python Stdlib Style Guide for that version. 
Then people could specifically refer to the 3.2 version of the style 
guide. PEP8 would then be the trunk version subject to further revision. 
Include with the frozen version the repository id info needed to do a 
diff between it and future revisions so people can discover what has 
changed since whenever.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy