When will Python 3 be fully deployed

[Ned Deily]

In article <4b20ac0a$0$1596$742ec2ed at news.sonic.net>,
 John Nagle <nagle at animats.com> wrote:
> I'd argue against using Python 2.6 for production work.  Either use 
> Python 
> 2.5, which is stable, or 3.x, which is bleeding-edge.  2.6 has some of the
> features of Python 3.x, but not all of them, and is neither fish nor fowl
> as a result.  2.6 is really more of a sideline that was used for trying
> out new features, not something suitable for production.

I disagree with that advice, strongly.  2.6 not only has new features 
but it has many bug fixes that have not and will not be applied to 2.5.  
It is hardly a sideline.

See http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.5.4/ for the official 
policy on 2.5, in particular:

"Future releases of Python 2.5 [ -- that is, should the need arise -- ] 
will only contain security patches; no new features are being added, and 
no 'regular' bugs will be fixed anymore." 

"If you want the latest production version of Python, use Python 2.6.1 
or later." [2.6.4 is the latest version].

Then see http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.6.4/

Note that Python 2.6 is considered the stable version and is "now in 
bugfix-only mode; no new features are being added".   Per normal python 
development policy, new features are added to the next major release 
cycles, now under development: Python 2.7 and Python 3.2.

-- 
 Ned Deily,
 nad at acm.org