[Python-Dev] Status of json (simplejson) in cpython

[Antoine Pitrou]

> > I've contributed a couple of patches myself after they were integrated
> > to CPython (they are part of the performance improvements Bob is talking
> > about), but that was exceptional. Backporting a patch to another project
> > with a different directory structure, a slightly different code, etc. is
> > tedious and not very rewarding for us Python core developers, while we
> > could do other work on our limited free time.
> Sure, I can understand that, but wouldn't it be easier if the two
> versions were kept in better sync (mostly removing the "slightly
> different code" part)?

You are assuming that we intend to backport all our json patches to
simplejson. I can't speak for other people, but I'm personally not
interested in doing that work (even if you find an "easier" scheme than
the current one).

Also, as Raymond said, it's not much of an issue if json and simplejson
diverge. Bob said he had no interest in porting simplejson to 3.x, while
we don't have any interest in making non-bugfix changes to 2.x json. As
long as basic functionality is identical and compliance to the spec is
ensured, I think most common uses are covered by both libraries.

So, unless you manage to find a scheme where porting patches is almost
zero-cost (for either us or Bob), I don't think it will happen.

> I'm thinking of a relation along the lines of Michael Foord's
> unittest2 (except maybe inverted, in that unittest2 is a backport of a
> next version's unittest)

Well, the big difference here is that Michael maintains both the stdlib
version and the standalone project, meaning he's committed to avoid any
divergence between the two codebases.

Regards

Antoine.