Version incomptabilities, code changes, __future__, etc

[simonb at webone.com.au]

i don't want to see any more versions of python.
ITS FINISHED
AND I LOVE IT RIGHT NOW
if you want more then make a new language.


Delaney, Timothy wrote:

>There are a (relatively) large number of enhancements to the Python language
>coming up which *will* break code compatibility.
>
>I would like to provoke some discussion on a suggestion.
>
>A new major version, Python 3.000 ;) is introduced.
>
>Python 3.x will contain mandatory semantic and syntax changes.
>
>Python 2.x will always maintain 100% syntax and semantic compatibility with
>Python 2.1.
>
>The mandatory version for all __future__ statements will be set to 3.0. This
>includes nested scopes.
>
>__future__ statements will be available in 2.x for all incompatible changes
>in 3.0.
>
>This has the following advantages:
>
>1. 2.x is guaranteed backwards compatible for things such as int/int
>division.
>2. Code can be made to work with both 2.x and 3.0 with appropriate
>__future__ statements.
>3. The code base for 2.x and 3.0 can be identical, except for the sole
>difference of the version number.
>
>This obviously needs to be fleshed out, and possibly turned into a PEP, but
>I think this would offset many of the worries people have about the changes
>that are being made.
>
>Tim Delaney
>Avaya Australia
>+61 2 9352 9079
>