[RELEASE] Python 3.12.3 and 3.13.0a6 released

[Thomas Wouters]

*It’s time to eclipse the Python 3.11.9 release with two releases*, one of
which is the *very last alpha release of Python 3.13*:
<https://discuss.python.org/t/python-3-12-3-and-3-13-0a6-released/50601#python-3123-1>Python
3.12.3

300+ of the finest commits went into this latest maintenance release of the
latest Python version, the most stablest, securest, bugfreeest we could
make it.
https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-3123/
<https://discuss.python.org/t/python-3-12-3-and-3-13-0a6-released/50601#python-3130a6-2>Python
3.13.0a6

What’s that? The last alpha release? Just one more month until feature
freeze! Get your features done, get your bugs fixed, let’s get 3.13.0 ready
for people to actually use! Until then, let’s test with alpha 6. The
highlights of 3.13 you ask? Well:

   - In the interactive interpreter, exception tracebacks are now colorized
   by default
   <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#improved-error-messages>.
   - A preliminary, *experimental* JIT was added
   <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#experimental-jit-compiler>,
   providing the ground work for significant performance improvements.
   - The (cyclic) garbage collector is now incremental
   <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#incremental-garbage-collection>,
   which should mean shorter pauses for collection in programs with a lot of
   objects.
   - Docstrings now have their leading indentation stripped
   <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#other-language-changes>,
   reducing memory use and the size of .pyc files. (Most tools handling
   docstrings already strip leading indentation.)
   - The dbm module <https://docs.python.org/dev/library/dbm.html> has a
   new dbm.sqlite3 backend
   <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#id1> that is used by
   default when creating new files.
   - PEP 594 (Removing dead batteries from the standard library)
   <https://peps.python.org/pep-0594/> scheduled removals of many
   deprecated modules: aifc, audioop, chunk, cgi, cgitb, crypt, imghdr,
   mailcap, msilib, nis, nntplib, ossaudiodev, pipes, sndhdr, spwd, sunau,
   telnetlib, uu, xdrlib, lib2to3.
   - Many other removals
   <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#removed> of deprecated
   classes, functions and methods in various standard library modules.
   - New deprecations
   <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#deprecated>, most of
   which are scheduled for removal from Python 3.15 or 3.16.
   - C API removals <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#id10>
   and deprecations <https://docs.python.org/dev/whatsnew/3.13.html#id9>.
   (Some removals present in alpha 1 were reverted in alpha 2, as the removals
   were deemed too disruptive at this time.)

(Hey, *fellow core developer,* if a feature you find important is missing
from this list, let Thomas know <thomas at python.org>. It’s getting to be
really important now!)
https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-3130a6/
<https://discuss.python.org/t/python-3-12-3-and-3-13-0a6-released/50601#we-hope-you-enjoy-the-new-releases-3>We
hope you enjoy the new releases!

Thanks to all of the many volunteers who help make Python Development and
these releases possible! Please consider supporting our efforts by
volunteering yourself, or through contributions to the Python Software
Foundation <https://www.python.org/psf-landing/> or CPython itself
<https://github.com/sponsors/python>.

Thomas “can you tell I haven’t had coffee today” Wouters
on behalf of your release team,

Ned Deily
Steve Dower
Pablo Galindo Salgado
Łukasz Langa
-- 
Thomas Wouters <thomas at python.org>