[Python-Dev] Removing IDLE from the standard library

[Tal Einat]

Martin v. Löwis wrote:
>> Initially (five years ago!) I tried to overcome these issues by
>> improving IDLE, solving problems and adding a few key features.
>> Without going into details, suffice to say that IDLE hasn't improved
>> much since 2005 despite my efforts. For example, see
>> http://bugs.python.org/issue1529142, where it took nearly 3 years to
>> fix a major issue from the moment I posted the first workaround. For
>> another example, see http://bugs.python.org/issue3068, where I posted
>> a patch for an extension configuration dialog over two years ago, and
>> it hasn't received as much as a sneeze in response.
>
> I can understand that this is frustrating, ...

I am not writing this to vent my frustration, and have purposely
avoided making that the issue.

> ... but please understand that
> this is not specific to your patches, or to IDLE. Many other patches on
> bugs.python.org remain unreviewed for many years. That's because many of
> the issues are really tricky, and there are very few people who both
> have the time and the expertise to evaluate them.

I am aware of the situation with regard to issue reviews, but I think
with IDLE there is more going on. In other parts of the Python
codebase, a workaround for a major usability issue wouldn't normally
have taken nearly three years to resolve after a working patch was
submitted. And a working, well-tested patch wouldn't normally have sat
ignored for over two years. Well, perhaps these things happen
occasionally, but with IDLE this is the norm.

> FWIW, I don't consider a few months as a "long" time for a patch review.
> At the moment, I'm personally able to perhaps review one issue per week
> (sometimes less); at this rate, it'll take several years until I get
> to everything.

I'm not talking about a few months, I'm talking about at least six
months in most cases, years in many cases, as in the examples I
mentioned.

- Tal Einat