[Python-Dev] Soliciting comments on the future of the cmd module (bpo-33233)

[Ned Deily]

In https://bugs.python.org/issue33233, I have proposed considering deprecation for the cmd module:

"The cmd module in the standard library has languished for many years.  In the mean time, third-party replacements for it have arisen.  Perhaps the most popular is cmd2 which seems to be actively maintained, provides upward compatibility from cmd along with many desirable new features, and is permissively licensed.

I suggest we consider at a minimum adding a "See also:" note referencing cmd2 to the cmd documentation in the Standard Library document, similar to what we do for the third-party "requests" module in the "urllib.request" documentation.

We could be even bolder and officially deprecate "cmd" and consider closing open enhancement issues for it on b.p.o."

What triggered this suggestion is that Oz Tiram opened an enhancement request for cmd with suggested code (https://bugs.python.org/issue33227) that implements a feature already in cmd2.  As I replied there, it seems to me to be almost a disservice to our users to add piecemeal enhancements to cmd at this point when it is essentially unmaintained and a superior alternative exists - that's assuming a core developer stepped up to shepherd the proposed change.

I don't have a strong feeling one way or another about the change but I think this might be one instance where we can and should make a decision to prioritize our limited volunteer resources and acknowledge the current state of affairs re cmd.  We've done similar things with other standard library modules in the past.

If you have an opinion about either recommending cmd2 in the cmd docs and/or deprecating cmd in 3.8, please comment on https://bugs.python.org/issue33233.

Thanks!
--Ned

https://docs.python.org/3.8/library/cmd.html
https://pypi.org/project/cmd2/
https://cmd2.readthedocs.io/

=-
  Ned Deily
  nad at python.org -- []