[Python-Dev] PEP 414

[Hynek Schlawack]

Hi Ezio,

Am 02.03.2012 um 10:33 schrieb Ezio Melotti:

>> [quoting Armin from Reddit]
>> "Because in all honesty, because string wrappers make a codebase horrible to
>> work with. I will have to continue maintaining 2.x versions for at least another
>> four or five years. The idea if having to use string wrappers for that long
>> makes me puke."
> Reading this led me to think the following:
> * 2.5 is now available basically everywhere, and it was released almost 5 years ago (Sep 2006);
> * if it takes the same time for 3.3, it will be widespread after 4-5 years (i.e. 2016-2017) [0];
> * if you want to target a Python 3 version that is widespread [1], you will want to support 3.1/3.2 too in the meanwhile;
> * therefore you will have to use the hook on 3.1/3.2;
> * in 2016-2017 you'll finally be able to drop 3.1/3.2 and use only 3.3 without hooks;
> * in 2016-2017 you'll also stop maintaining the 2.x version (according to that quote);
> * if you are not maintaining 2.x anymore, you won't need u'' -- right when you could finally stop using the hook;

I don't think you can compare 2.5 and 3.2 like that. Although 3.2 is/will be shipped with some distributions, it never has, and never will have, the adoption of 2.5 that was "mainstream" for a quite long time.

3.3 is the IMHO the first 3.x release that brings really cool stuff to the table and might be the tipping point for people to start embracing Python 3 – despite the fact that Ubuntu LTS will alas ship 3.2 for the next 10 years. I hope for some half-official back port there. :)


Re the language thingie (not directed towards Ezio): It's true that Armin tends to be opinionated – maybe even polemic. However I can't recall a case where he personally attacked people like it happened here.

Regards,
Hynek