12 years of Python and only at v2.2

[John Roth]

"Manuel M. Garcia" <mgarcia at cole-switches.com> wrote in message
news:m29quuc6qjvvr1arhcb21ncfu0f7dd3c4i at 4ax.com...
> I was reading "Python Power: Growing Respect for an Open Source
> Integration Tool" by Cameron Laird in OpenEnterpriseTrends.com
>
> http://www.oetrends.com/cgi-bin/page_display.cgi?98
>
> (found it on Daily Python-URL http://www.pythonware.com/daily/)
>
> Laird's article makes the statement """
>
> What makes Python so good for integration? Finch and other believers
> in Python note several characteristics:
> (edit)
> 3. Python is high-quality: While it's matured for over a decade now,
> its developmental philosophy is so conservative it only recently
> reached version 2.2.
>
> """
>
> Is Python unusual in this respect?  The only comparable situation I
> can think of off the top of my head is with Linux, begun in 1992 and
> at v2.4 currently.

It depends on the version numbering. I don't know the early history,
but I've seen references to 1.3, 1.4, 1.5.2 (which I believe that one of
the Linux distros is still shipping as their default Python), 2.0, 2.1,
2.2
and 2.3 coming into alpha test shortly.

That's seven major releases. I believe 3.0 is reserved for the next
incompatible, ground up rethink and redesign; something Guido is
in no hurry to get to.

Right now it's running between one and two major releases a year.

John Roth
>
> Manuel