[Python-Dev] Timing for Py2.4

[Anthony Baxter]

Martin v. Löwis wrote:
>> 4) If some feature set turns out to be worrisome, I would rather delay
>> it for Py2.5 than hold up Py2.4 indefinitely.  The AST people know best
>> whether their work is fit for commitment.  If it's not ready, then let
>> it cook on its own time.  Basically, it's ready when it's ready.
> 
> 
> While I wholeheartedly agree with the principles you elaborate and the
> conclusions drawn from them, you should be aware that, at PyCon, we
> have set firm deadlines for a number of potential changes. The AST
> branch either gets merged by May 1, or it does not get merged for
> Python 2.4. Its authors are very much interested in completing it and
> feel that it may never get completed unless a concerted effort is made
> in that direction now.
> 
>> Does anyone have a good reason that the first alpha cannot go out in
>> May?
> 
> 
> I can accept the position of contributors that they really want to see
> their work released, especially if they are willing to abide by
> deadlines they have agreed to.

I don't recall _any_ deadline being mentioned before this for 2.4. 
Certainly the only indications I've had were that we'd be aiming for a 
November release - 18ish months after 2.3. 2.3 was released on 29th
July 2003.

> I must accept (and will actively support) a schedule that the release
> manager has set. While I don't quite remember it been actually
> mentioned, I  somehow got the impression that Anthony's personal
> schedule (as well as the upcoming release of 2.3.4) have contributed to
> initiating a 2.4 release a few months later than May.

As Martin said - I plan a 2.3.4 release for May. There's a couple of
crashing bugs that Zope3 found back at the start of the year that have
been fixed, and I've not seen any new ones crop up since then, so I'm
happy that I'm not going to be cutting a release-of-the-month because
Zope3 found Yet Another Weird Weakref Interaction (YAWWI).

But, at the end of the day, if anyone else _really_ _really_ wants to
do the release earlier, and is willing and able to do it, I'm more than
happy to let them do it.

Anthony

-- 
Anthony Baxter     <anthony at interlink.com.au>
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.