[Python-ideas] Proposal to change Python version release cycle

[Wolfgang]

On 04.11.2017 12:35, Chris Angelico wrote:
> On Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 10:25 PM,  <tds333 at mailbox.org> wrote:
>> I suggest to change this to increment the major version for every new release
>> of the 1,5 year cycle.
>> And allow new Python standard library backward compatible changes for every
>> minor release cycle every 6 months.
> 
> The usual implication of a major version bump is that there is
> significant incompatibility. That's something that should happen
> roughly once a decade, not every couple of years. Massive -1.0 from me
> on this.
> 

Yes that implication is a possible risk. I will add it to the section
if needed.

As noted by Guido a ground breaking change as it happened from version 2 
to 3 should never happen in Python land again and a possible version 4 
will simply be after 3.9.
Other languages increment their major version already faster and track
the language standard simply with the major version.

The major version should be incremented for a ground breaking change
but an increment requires not a ground breaking change to do this.

For me even adding new keywords to a language is a major change.
(Such as async and await)
Or changes in the C API.
And talking about language standard version 4 is simpler than a
more complicated scheme of major.minor.
Also other implementations such as pypy can use this first version
number in their name to show compatibility.
(pypy4 compatible to Python )

I think if the changes happens it will take some time for people to
adjust but then life will be simpler. :-)

Thank you for your feedback.


Regards,

Wolfgang