[Python-Dev] "What's New" in docs

[Raymond Hettinger]

> >     Guido> Well, it's not exactly difficult to find the previous
> versions of
> >     Guido> the docs from http://www.python.org/doc/ (hint: search
for
> >     Guido> "Previous versions" :-).
> >
> >     Guido> Isn't that enough?

My preference is to keep What's New separate.  For most users, the
primary value is in the moment of transition during an upgrade.  Also,
with the Mac people coming aboard, we'll have more users that have never
seen a previous version of Python.  Ideally, they should see Python as
being in a state of highest evolution without seeing the whole history.

For someone truly interested in writing code for multiple python
versions, the whatsnew history is neither sufficiently complete nor
detailed.  Instead, the text and examples are written as gentle
introductions to features.  When Skip looks up the introduction of list
comps or generators, the odds are that he only reads the headlines and
would be bored to tears by the other 98% of the document.  When the
introduction of CHM files, searching the regular docs has never been
easier.


Raymond Hettinger