[Python-Dev] PEP 318: Let's not give in to FUD

[Michael Hudson]

Barry Warsaw <barry at python.org> writes:

> If tomorrow this same code means something different, users looking at
> the code will have to know what version of Python they're using, and
> make sure it's the right one ("uh, how do I do that?").  If they were to
> use decorator-before-def code in an older version of Python, the program
> would be accepted but silently do the wrong thing.
>
> At least with decorator-before-colon trying to run the code in older
> interpreters will barf loudly.

I think this is a good point that hadn't occurred to me: silent
failures suck.

Cheers,
mwh

-- 
  Like most people, I don't always agree with the BDFL (especially
  when he wants to change things I've just written about in very 
  large books), ... 
         -- Mark Lutz, http://python.oreilly.com/news/python_0501.html