[Python-Dev] unicode Exception messages in py2.7

[Terry Reedy]

On 11/14/2013 4:55 PM, Tres Seaver wrote:

> About the only things I can think of which might break would be doctests,
> but people *expect* those to break across third-dot releases of Python
> (one reason why I hate them).

My impression is that we avoid enhancing correct exception messages in 
bugfix (third-dot) releases because of both doctests and other in-code 
examination of messages.

 > Exception repr is explicitly *not* part of
> any backward-compatibility guarantees in Python.

So we more freely change exception messages in version (second-dot) 
releases, without deprecation notices or waiting periods.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy