[Python-Dev] Python "2migr8"

[Terry Reedy]

On 4/14/2014 11:32 AM, Steve Dower wrote:

> To put it up front, I'm totally against "CPython 2.8" ever becoming a
> real thing. Anything that comes out should be seen as a migration
> path, not an upgrade path. I'll also admit I'm not heavily invested
> in working on it myself, but I had a number of conversations during
> PyCon (as well as being at the language summit) that puts me in a
> position to share the ideas and concerns that have been raised.

I think it great that you 'volunteered' to be a neutral, hopefully 
trusted go-between.

> The main trigger was a conversation I had with two employees of a
> very large bank that has about 3000 Python users (not developers -
> mostly financial analysts) and 16 million lines of code running on
> 2.7.

Sounds like a billion-dollar company. Are they a PSF sponsor, and a 
top-tier one at that? If the company is profitable, it could afford to 
fund a half- to full-time developer.

 > They are keen to migrate to 3.x but cannot afford to stop work
> entirely while their code is updated.

Sounds like they are looking ahead several years and anxious to avoid 
the 'comforable with XP' trap.

> In describing the approach they'd like to take, they made me realise
> that there is definitely a place for a Python that is different but
> mostly compatible with 2.7, in a way that 2.7.x could not be. For the
> sake of having a name, I'll refer to this as "Python 2migr8"
> (pronounced "to migrate" :) ).

This should be a separate project from pydev, even if under the PSF 
umbrella.

> The two important components of Python 2migr8 would be the ability to
> disable 2.7-only features, and to do so on a module-by-module basis.

A reasonable request of pydev would be for python-coded stdlib modules 
to be updated as much as possible, if that has not already been done. No 
'apply', no 'except SomeException, e'.

> However unfair
> and incorrect it may be, there is a perception in some businesses
> that open-source projects do not want contributions from them.

For PSF/CPython, this is so untrue that it looks to me like an excuse to 
take without giving back. This might be 'unfair and incorrect', but it 
is my perception.

> I invited more than one business to have someone join python -dev and
> get involved during PyCon, and I heard that others did the same - it
> may not be at the level of employing a core developer full time, but
> it's the starting point that some companies will need to be able to
> become comfortable with employing a core dev.

Let's hope some act on your invitation.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy