[Python-ideas] stdlib upgrades

[geremy condra]

On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 5:53 PM, Tarek Ziadé <ziade.tarek at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 8:13 PM, Ian Bicking <ianb at colorstudy.com> wrote:
> [..]
>> 4. The standard library is one big chunk of functionality, upgraded all
>> under one version number, and specifically works together (though in
>> practice cross-module refactorings are uncommon).
>>
>> There's positive things about these features, but 4 really drives me nuts,
>> and I think is a strong disincentive to putting stuff into the standard
>> library.  For packaging I think 4 actively damages maintainability.
>>
>> Packaging is at the intersection of several systems:
>>
>> * Python versions
>> * Forward and backward compatibility with distributed libraries
>> * System policies (e.g., Debian has changed things around a lot in the last
>> few years)
>> * A whole other ecosystem of libraries outside of Python (e.g., binding to C
>> libraries)
>> * Various developer toolkits, some Python specific (e.g., Cython) some not
>> (gcc)
>>
>> I don't think it's practical to think that we can determine some scope of
>> packaging where it will be stable in the long term, all these things are
>> changing and many are changing without any particular concern for how it
>> affects Python (i.e., packaging must be reactive).  And frankly we clearly
>> do not have packaging figured out, we're still circling in on something...
>> and I think the circling will be more like a Strange Attractor than a sink
>> drain.
>
> Are you suggesting to have a third layer ?
>
> * Python
> * stdlib
> * stdlib-extras (distutils2, pip, etc)
>
> is that what some people called a "sumo" release of Python ?
>
>
> Tarek

That's what I've been advocating.

Geremy Condra