[Python-Dev] Re: Deprecation

holger krekel pyth@devel.trillke.net
Thu, 30 May 2002 22:28:21 +0200


Michael Gilfix wrote:
>   This would be very cool. Rather than having to go by python
> version numbers, which seem obscure, an application can declare its
> dependencies by module. Perhaps even some tool to determine an apps
> dependencies. 
> (...)

while i agree to this basic idea i wanted to remind of the other
point buried in my mail ... Changing the deprecation process to be based
on *version numbers* rather than *uncertain future points in time*...

> On Wed, May 29 @ 20:29, holger krekel wrote:
> > IMO Enforcing version numbers in standard libraries is a good idea.
> >  
> > Eventually, a good versioning scheme for the standard-lib with automated
> > deprecation may be what is needed. Making the introduction 
> > of new (or deprecation of) features 
> > 
> > a) by hand
> > 
> > b) by measures of 'x years', example from from PEP4:
> >     "The deprecation warning will be added to the module
> >      one year after Python 2.3 is released, and the
> >      module will be removed one year after that."
> > 
> > seems unreliable. How do you construct an if-statement
> > for 'One year after 2.3 is released' if the current version
> > is 2.2 <wink>.
> > 
> > Instead deprecating 
> > 
> > a) (semi-) automatically 
> > 
> > b) by saying '2.3 issues deprecation warning, 2.4 does not support it'.
> > 
> > seems much saner. Even a program can be teached to check this.

Am i the only one to find this an evident change for the good (tm) ?

    holger