[Python-Dev] float atime/mtime/ctime - a bad idea?

[Martin v. Loewis]

Guido van Rossum <guido@python.org> writes:

> In this particular case, I think having a global flag should be good
> enough.  We can easily rig the standard library not to depend on its
> value.

Sounds good. Unless I hear otherwise, I'll add stat_float_times(bool).

That still leaves the question of a migration plan, assuming that
users, in general, would appreciate to silently get subsecond
timestamps where possible. Here is a proposal:

- 2.3: just add stat_float_times. In the documentation, warn that the
       value will change in the future.
- 2.4: make stat_float_times(True) the default. Applications that break
       would need to add stat_float_times(False) in a central place.

This has no phase were a warning is emitted, but any scheme that adds
a warning means that the user first has to add something (to silence
the warning), and then to remove something (when the default changes -
although the option might stay forever).

Regards,
Martin