Warning switches (was: Python 1.6 alpha 1 released)

[Fredrik Lundh]

Nick Maclaren wrote:
> >but hopefully, Python 3000 will be completely free from modes.
>
> It is important to distinguish modes from warning levels.  The
> former imply that there are several subtly different languages,
> and are usually regarded as snares and delusions.

in this case, the goal is to help you migrate towards Python 3000,
not to allow you to pick your favourite python dialect [1].  dunno
if that's best done with warnings (and an option to switch them
off) or modes (where the same option switches between warnings
and exceptions), or some mixture of that...

> The latter are best described by the following question:
>
>     Do you want me to tell you when I think that you may be
> making a mistake, when you are doing something that is asking
> for trouble, or only when you have definitely got it wrong?"

I think the current approach is to leave such warnings to the
development environment (or to pluggable parsers/compilers).
see the CP4E paper for more ideas in this direction.

(after all, the interpreter's energy is better spent on other
things...)

</F>

1) unless guido reads this, of course:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/6888/langopts.htm