[Python-Dev] Re: Feature bloat in Python (was some PEP thing!)

[Tim Peters]

[Fredrik Lundh]
> ...
> ...with two major releases with only a few weeks in between, I'm
> afraid we'll see the usual "do we really need this?" rule being
> replaced with "what can we add to make sure people know there's
> really a difference?".

FWIW, and as I understand it, at one point in the negotiations with CNRI,
the idea was raised (by them) that the only way to release Python 2.0 with a
different license than CNRI's new 1.6 license was indeed to make major
changes so that "people know there's really a difference".  I don't know
whether that still applies, but at the time it sure seemed to intensify
Guido's sense of urgency about these proposals <0.9 wink>.

> obviously, things with fancy names and existing patches are on
> the top of that list :-(

And, in most cases, not only fancy names and patches, but also years of
favorable preceding discussion.  In particular, none of the things you
mentioned (list comprehensions, augumented assignments, range literals) is
in any sense new, or has escaped being debated to death multiple times.  The
only new thing in the debates this year was a convincing argument that the
syntax for lockstep "for" loops probably sucked.

the-"do-we-need-this?"-parts-were-decided-before-ly y'rs  - tim