email package 4.0a2

[Konrad Hinsen]

On Mar 5, 2006, at 22:10, Barry Warsaw wrote:

> I'm happy to announce the release of the email 4.0a2 standalone  
> package.
> This is the latest version of the email package and will be released
> with Python 2.5.  The major changes between this version and email 3.0
> (released with Python 2.4) is:
...

> Note that the old, email version 3 package names are still  
> supported for
> backward compatibility, so you won't have to change existing code.   
> New
> code should use the new names as the old names will go away in Python
> 2.6.  Also note that email.mime.application is /not/ provided as
> email.MIMEApplication.

I am a bit worried by annoucements such as this one, so I would like  
to profit from this opportunity to plead for more stability in Python  
development, even though the concrete case (the email module) is not  
a problem for me.

My interpretation of the above paragraph is that it will be  
impossible to write Python code using the email module (and possibly  
other evolving modules) that works with both Python 2.4 and Python  
2.6. As an author of Python code, I therefore have to choose if I  
want to force my users to update their Python installation (knowing  
that this is impossible or at least a major effort for some of them)  
or if I want to prevent early adopters of new versions from using my  
code. I don't like either option.

 From exchanges with users of my code, I conclude that there are  
significant numbers of users of Python 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4 at the  
moment, plus a small number of users of 2.0 and 2.1. From a few cases  
of Python 2.2 users whose situations I know well, I understand that  
updating is not always an option. For example, there is someone whose  
10 PCs are still running SuSE Linux 8.1 (which includes Python 2.2).  
The PhD student who handles system administration (with minimal  
expertise) adopts the wise approach of never breaking a running  
system. In other words, those machines will remain at SuSE 8.1 and  
Python 2.2 until they will be replaced. This leaves users with the  
only option of installing a newer Python in their home directories -  
not exactly a straightforward task for someone who knows little about  
Python and nothing about system administration.

Given the current situation, I expect that when Python 2.6 is  
released, Python 2.4 will still be in common use.

Personally, I would prefer that all compatibility-breaking changes be  
postponed until Python 3K. I'd rather have worry about compatibility  
once than continously.

Konrad.
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Konrad Hinsen
Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, CEA Saclay,
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
Tel.: +33-1 69 08 79 25
Fax: +33-1 69 08 82 61
E-Mail: konrad.hinsen at cea.fr
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