[Python-Dev] API bloat

["Martin v. Löwis"]

>> 1. CPython developers
>> 2. authors of CPython extensions
>> 3. developers embedding a CPython interpreter (or interpreters) into
>> their application
> 
> This makes me wonder who `owns' the API.
> Is the CPython developers, the Python community as a whole, the PSF?
> (Another one for Python-ideas)

Clearly the CPython contributors own the API. There are both policies
for additions and policies for removal, and so far, these policies
haven't been challenged.

The "addition" policy is that anything can be added as long as it's
reasonable that future versions support it, and that there is a
plausible use case for an embedder or extender actually making use of
the API.

The "removal" policy is that things can be removed after "proper"
deprecation. The precise requirements of deprecation depend on how
widely the API is being used.

More explicitly: while it is policy to consider alternative
implementations when changing the language or the standard library,
it is not policy to consider alternative implementations when
changing the C API.

Regards,
Martin