[Python-Dev] NEWS consolidation

[Guido van Rossum]

>   >> XML is never high on your list of suggestions.  On the other
>   >> hand, it's exactly appropriate for this task.
> 
>   GvR> Not if you ever want me to supply a news item again.  XML is
>   GvR> unreadable and untypable.
> 
> So what about reST?

Probably overkill in this case, although it would allow nicer HTML to
be generated e.g. for the release notes on the web.

I was thinking of using the entry format currently used (a paragraph
with a leading hyphen) and a little bit of meta-data, e.g.:

- release number
- category (e.g. Core and builtins, Extension modules, Library, etc.).

If you want to get fancy, add:

- timestamp (could be added automatically when you add the entry)
- optional list of SF bug/patch numbers.

If you really want to get fancy, some kind of linkage with CVS checkin
messages might be cute, but usually there's no 1-1 correspondence
between checkins and NEWS items.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)