[Python-ideas] Was `os.errno` undocumented?

[Guido van Rossum]

Yes. What Steve says at the end. Let's be kind and mention this one on the
release notes. But not all the others.

On Tue, May 29, 2018, 07:57 Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> wrote:

> On Tue, May 29, 2018 at 05:37:06PM +0300, Serhiy Storchaka wrote:
>
> > We have removed over 100 module attributes in 3.6 [2] and over 200
> > module attributes in 3.7 [3].
> >
> > Some of these removals broke third-part projects [4], even removals of
> > underscored names.
>
> Yes, people will rely on undocumented features. Even when you tell them
> not to.
>
> > If we will document the removal of os.errno, we
> > should to document the removal of at least other names for which there
> > are known examples of breaking third-party projects, e.g.
> > re._pattern_type, uuid._uuid_generate_time and several typing attributes.
>
> I disagree. I think that _leading underscore names can be removed
> without mentioning the removal. If it breaks code, too bad. Anyone using
> an explicitly named _private name has only themselves to blame.
>
> But non-public names *without* a leading underscore are in a grey area,
> since they *look* like public names.
>
> I think we can afford to be kind by documenting such removals --
> especially since it may help to educate people that imported modules
> without a leading underscore are still considered implementation
> details.
>
>
> --
> Steve
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