[Python-Dev] PEP 407 / splitting the stdlib

[Georg Brandl]

Am 18.01.2012 18:56, schrieb Brett Cannon:

> IOW we would have a language moratorium every 2 years (i.e. between LTS
> releases) while switching to a 6 month release cycle for language/VM bugfixes
> and full stdlib releases?

That is certainly a possibility (it's listed as an open issue in the PEP).

> I would support that as it has several benefits from
> several angles.
> 
> From a VM perspective, it gives other VMs 2 years to catch up to the next
> release instead of 18 months; not a big switch, but still better than shortening it.
> 
> It also makes disruptive language changes less frequent so people have more time
> to catch up, update books/docs, etc. We can also let them bake longer and we all
> get more experience with them.

Yes.  In the end, the moratorium really was a good idea, and this would be
carrying on the spirit.

> Doing a release every 6 months that includes updates to the stdlib and bugfixes
> to the language/VM also benefits other VMs by getting compatibility fixes in
> faster. All of the other VM maintainers have told me that keeping the stdlib
> non-CPython compliant is the biggest hurdle. This kind of switch means they
> could release a VM that supports a release 6 months or a year after a language
> change release (e.g. 1 to 2 releases in) so as to get changes in faster and
> lower the need to keep their own fork.
> 
> It should also increase the chances of external developers of projects being
> willing to become core developers and contributing their project to Python. If
> they get to keep a 6 month release cycle we could consider pulling in project
> like httplib2 and others that have resisted inclusion in the stdlib because
> painfully long (for them) wait between releases.

Exactly!

Georg