[Python-Dev] PEP 411: Provisional packages in the Python standard library

[Eli Bendersky]

On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 23:56, Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:
> On 2/10/2012 9:06 AM, Eli Bendersky wrote:
>
>> Whenever the Python core development team decides that a new package
>> should be
>> included into the standard library, but isn't entirely sure about whether
>> the
>> package's API is optimal, the package can be included and marked as
>> "provisional".
>>
>> In the next minor release, the package may either be "graduated" into a
>> normal
>> "stable" state in the standard library, or be rejected and removed
>> entirely
>> from the Python source tree.
>
>
> This could be interpreted as limiting provisional status to one release
> cycle. I suggest that you add 'or continued as provisional'. In particular,
> if the api *is* changed, another provisional period might be advisable.
>

I think this was agreed upon when PEP 408 was discussed. Keeping a
package provisional for too long is detrimental. Isn't a single
release enough to decide that we want something or not? Keep in mind
that many users won't touch the provisional packages in production
code - we would like to make new parts of the stdlib functional as
soon as possible.

>
>>     The<X>  package has been included in the standard library on a
>>     provisional basis. While major changes are not anticipated, as long as
>>     this notice remains in place, backwards incompatible changes are
>>     permitted if deemed necessary by the standard library developers. Such
>
>
> 'as long as' implies no particular limit.

Perhaps it should also?
Eli