[Python-Dev] Issues with Py3.1's new ipaddr

[Guido van Rossum]

Well, it sounds like the current incarnation of the ipaddr module is
widely loathed, even if it also has some fans. Since it is still
available as a 3rd party module, and hasn't been available in other
releases except 3.1 beta and rc1, I expect few users will be
inconvenienced if we withdraw it at this point.

Benjamin, what would be involved in removing it? I suppose there's the
module itself, some unit tests, and some docs. (I'm not asking you to
remove it yet -- but I'm asking to look into the consequences, so that
we can be sure to do the right thing before releasing 3.1 final.)

I'm disappointed in the process -- it's as if nobody really reviewed
the API until it was released with rc1, and this despite there being a
significant discussion about its inclusion and alternatives months
ago. (Don't look at me -- I wouldn't recognize a netmask if it bit me
in the behind, and I can honestly say that I don't know whether /8
means to look only at the first 8 bits or whether it means to mask off
the last 8 bits.)

I hope we can learn from this.

-- 
--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)