[Python-Dev] Slow down...

[Jeff Hardy]

On Mon, May 7, 2018 at 10:21 AM, Glenn Linderman <v+python at g.nevcal.com> wrote:
> On 5/7/2018 7:59 AM, Eric Snow wrote:
>
> On Sun, May 6, 2018 at 8:25 PM, Nick Coghlan <ncoghlan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm inclined to agree that a Python 3.8 PEP in the spirit of the PEP 3003
> language moratorium could be a very good idea.
>
> Note that the PEP specifically applies to "syntax, semantics, and
> built-ins".  Here's the full abstract [1]:
>
>     This PEP proposes a temporary moratorium (suspension) of all changes to
> the
>     Python language syntax, semantics, and built-ins for a period of
> at least two
>     years from the release of Python 3.1. In particular, the moratorium
> would
>     include Python 3.2 (to be released 18-24 months after 3.1) but allow
> Python
>     3.3 (assuming it is not released prematurely) to once again include
> language
>     changes.
>
>     This suspension of features is designed to allow non-CPython
> implementations
>     to "catch up" to the core implementation of the language, help ease
> adoption
>     of Python 3.x, and provide a more stable base for the community.
>
> -eric
>
> Here's my "lightning" response to a "lightning talk" about a moratorium:
>
> So if other implementations didn't catch up during the last moratorium,
> either the moratorium then was lifted too soon, or the other implementations
> don't really want to catch up, or the thought that they should catch up was
> deemed less important than making forward progress with the language. Have
> any of those opinions changed?

Speaking as the maintainer of IronPython during the last moratorium:
while catching up was certainly desirable, there simply wasn't enough
person-power to do it any reasonable amount of time (I'm not sure any
implementation besides PyPy even has yield-from, let alone async).
Between fixing issues in 2.x branches, trying to implement 3.x
features, and dealing with underlying platform churn I don't think
even two years was ever realistic. Plus, every feature has to be
considered with how it works in Python and the other platform (like,
what sort of fun .NET interop can we do with type annotations?).

Another moratorium would probably have the same (lack of) effect.
Better, IMO, to just raise the bar on expensive features and let them
catch up naturally.

- Jeff