[pytest-dev] Results of the "drop python 3" poll and what i envision to do about it

[Bruno Oliveira]

Hi Ronny,

On Mon, Oct 1, 2018 at 5:01 AM RonnyPfannschmidt <
opensource at ronnypfannschmidt.de> wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> the python3 support poll has run its on
> https://twitter.com/ossronny/status/1043837215175057408
>
> The results have a interesting shape.
>
> 37%    now
> 09%    with 3.4 mid 2019
> 38%    with the python 2.7 eol
> 16%    a year after py 2.7 eol
>
> 468 votes in the final result.
>
>
> Its my belief that a increase of the of the sample size wouldn't have
> changed the outcome of the poll.
> I observed it rather quickly normalizing into that shape.
> I consider the 2 peaks important indications of the desires and
> considerations of people.
>
> By my own wishes i'd just go ahead and drop python2 as well, but i don't
> consider 37% of the community sample to be enough to warrant something
> with such drastic effects right now.
> When summing up with the ~9% of the "with 3.4" and also weighting in the
> larger time-frame and my impression about the rounding twitter uses we
> get a subjective number of ~49%+-1%.
> Which i consider a good context for dropping the "general support for
> python3".
>
> So together with support for python3.4 i want pytest to drop support for
> python2 for the general development.
>
> As for maintenance branches for python2 - i proposed the setup in an
> earlier mail and i would like to make a basic outline for its support.
> the pytest core developers should actively support, maintain and
> backport to this branch until python2.7 goes eol,
> at that point we should transition the python2 maintenance involvement
> from the core developers from active to passive.
>

Sounds good, we should prepare a section in the docs with that outline, and
put it in our sidebar.

What is not clear to me though is when we will start the
python2-maintenance branch. As I understand it, the maintenance branch
would go live once we make the first python 3 only release, correct? When
do you think we should plan for that to happen? End of 2020 or sooner?


> Meaning that instead of actively working on porting changes and pushing
> releases,
> we instead support the wider community with needs to bring in changes
> they require and support them with review and releasing.
> I believe half a year is more than enough to stabilize and sort out the
> 2.7 maintenance branch,
> but should i be demonstrated wrong by how this unfolds i'm happy to have
> this extend this for another year.


> But for anything after that the bulk of the python2.x maintenance work
> should be left on the shoulders of companies and individuals that have
> an actual requirement for that.
>
> -- Ronny
>
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