[Python-Dev] Re: Decimal for Py2.3 (was: about presicion)

[Alex Martelli]

On 2004 Sep 01, at 19:11, Batista, Facundo wrote:

> [Alex Martelli]
>
> #- I think that's an excellent policy -- Python 2.3 will no doubt 
> remain
> #- widely used for a long time to come.  I think it would be nice if
> #- Decimal was packaged up with its own docs for easy download and 
> install
> #- into an existing 2.3 installation, then... make life as easy as 
> possible
> #- for 2.3 users who need to do some decimal arithmetic!
>
> Don't know what's commong usage, so I ask.
>
> Should I prepare a "decimal package" with the module and docs and 
> whatever,
> in form of a tgz, rmp, .exe, etc, to let people "install" decimal in 
> their
> Py2.3?
>
> Or it's better to somewhere tell the user that if he/she wants to use
> Decimal in Py2.3 to follow this simple n steps (and the detail of the 
> steps,
> of course ;)?
>
> Considering that it's only a file, and the docs could be accessed 
> through
> Py2.4 documentation, I'll go for the latter.

Based on little direct experience, I think that the former course would 
more than double the usage of Decimal among people still sticking with 
Python 2.3 -- having to get files out of a different release, including 
a piece of the docs, feels way scarier and more hassle to most people 
than just downloading the appropriate package and double clicking (or 
unpacking and running python setup.py install, of course).  I can't 
blame them, most particularly when we're talking about people whose 
familiarity with the stuff that installers do to their computers is 
hazy and imprecise -- and I see no reason why such people shouldn't be 
eager Decimal users as well as people with more system administration 
nous.


Alex